


Northern Lights

by Albion19



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Imprisonment, Love/Hate, Magic, Parent-Child Relationship, Sex Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 170,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5901616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Albion19/pseuds/Albion19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bonnie and Kai become trapped in the 1903 prison world but eventually escape. Four years later their paths cross again. This is AU after 6x17. Bonkai.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The house has that Sunday morning hush, a golden peace and he feels a little guilty for breaking it so he moves softly, fingers skimming over the countertop of the kitchen sink. He swipes a jar of jam off the table, fiddling with the lid. Herbs and half empty pots sit on the table, she must have been potting them before going to bed. Magic thrums through the air, like music and it makes his hair stand on end. From what he has gathered Abby Bennett is weak in magic but he knows that can change. He does not want any trouble, unless she wants to play, he just wants to know the whereabouts of one Bonnie Bennett, whose presence is so well cloaked not even he can find her.

Bonnie. Even the thought of her name sends a flash of something white hot through him, so intense he can't tell if it's rage or something sweeter. Probably a mix of the two. It's been four years since he was fished out of a New York harbour half dead, four years he has been comatose until two weeks ago when suddenly all his faculties came back like someone had flipped a switch.

Four years since 1903...Kai shakes his head, which buzzes with a white noise, and looks up when another noise catches his attention. He walks forward, tapping his fingers against the jam jar. Two children sit on the floor before a television set, their small slippered feet folded under them. Kai frowns, he hadn't known that Abby had anymore children. Their backs to him they are so engrossed in the cartoon that they don't hear him. The two girls are dressed in pyjamas, one depicting sunrays and rainbows, the other moonbeams and shooting stars and he smiles when they start to sing along softly, wiggling a little.

The crack of the jam jar opening makes them turn in unison. They are around three and identical. Bright green eyes peer at him curiously but when they see his fingers in the jam jar the girl in purple wrinkles her nose.

"That's unhygienic," she struggles to get the words out, a slight lisp on her tongue. Adorable.

"Not if you're the only one eating it moonbeam," he answers playfully and the other twin, who he has already christened sunbeam, is clearly a little more reserved. She takes her sister's hand and gets to her feet.

"Are you here to see our mommy?"

"I am but I'll wait. I want to surprise her," he grins at the twin in sunshine yellow, who seems to soften. He offers the jam jar to them and they giggle.

* * *

Abby belts her dressing gown closed and stretches, eyeing the street below quickly before heading down to make breakfast. She hears the faint crackle of the television and the twins laughter and smiles but it dims a little when she hears a man's laughter too.

_Must be the weather man..._

The girls are always up with the sun, Celia neatly making her bed while Amelia usually gives it a cursory glance before skipping after her twin. Abby thinks she'll come down one morning and they would have made the breakfast for her.

 _Now I wouldn't put anything past them. The things they could do..._ she sighs, remembering recently when she had awoken during the heat of summer to find snow falling into their garden and only their garden. That's what you got for having _Frozen_ playing on a loop…

"Lucky it wasn't the entire state," she mummers, rounding the corner as the twins talk animatedly to each other, or so she had thought. At first nothing seems amiss but then she glances at the wildflower patterned wallpaper and does a double take. The green stalks sway as if caught in a breeze and a flock of birds that have previously been frozen for the last decade are now migrating North.

"That's so cool!" Celia says excitedly and Abby smiles, shaking her head as she comes into the kitchen as painted petals flutter in her wake.

"The wallpaper is alive girls, wallpaper tends to not -"

Abby stalls, eyes going wide. A man is leaning against the sink, the twins sitting on top of the table before him. His hands trace through the air and with every movement of his fingers the wallpaper stirs. His eyes flick to her and he grins.

"Oops."

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Granny! This is our friend!" Amelia says, smiling at the man, already half in love. Whoever he is he's got magic and she had not even felt his presence. As she rushes to them the man blinks in confusion.

"Granny? You - you're their _grandmother_?" he looks back at the twins, his gaze intense and his hands drop slowly, the petals and swallows freezing. "I thought they…" he loses his voice and his now oddly desperate eyes flick between them. A cold dread floods through Abby as she realises who the man is, a man they had been sure was long dead.

Abby, who now wishes with all her soul that she had never taken the Cure, places herself before the girls. "Get. Out."

"Where's Bonnie?" his voice shudders, as if all the air has escaped.

"Right here," a vicious voice says and Kai has no time to react as a pair of hands clamp onto his head and he buckles to the ground without a sound. Bonnie, coming in from her nightshift, pants above him, her eyes crazed. Those eyes flick to her mother, who has each twin pressed to her. They remain in silence, Bonnie's ragged breathing filling the air until Abby finds her voice.

"It's him, isn't it? What - what do we do?"

Bonnie looks at Malachai Parker at her feet, her mouth twisting until her beautiful face becomes something awful. The twins gaze sadly down at him through the crook of their grandmother's arms.

"He made the birds fly…"

* * *

_**a.n:** Hey Bonkai shippers! Very new to this ship but it's got me good! I plan to switch every few chapters to show what happened in 1903 and how they got out and to this scene in the present and what they decide to do with Kai._

_Hope you'll enjoy what's to come :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_1903 Prison World..._

As the sky swoops and shifts in green and pink ribbons the forest flickers alive with that strange light, casting his face from one colour to another. Hysterical laughter bubbles up inside, the kind that had erupted at his mother's funeral and he had been powerless to stop it, but now he feels a rising despair until he grimaces with pain. She had left him.

"No…" fists scrunch the snow below him, snow that is already beginning to darken with his blood. He looks up at the sky as the flickering light begins to fade and in that moment a burst of bright light enters the clearing and he throws up his arm.

Bonnie Bennett stumbles in the snow, the light disappearing in an instant, and she whirls around wildly. Wide eyes take in the trees and snow and she screams.

"NO!" her cry batters at his ears and he watches as she desperately looks at her feet before falling to her knees, hands digging at the snow. "No...where is it?!"

"Bonnie?" he calls weakly and he knows as soon as her name is past his lips he has made a huge mistake. Frenzied eyes snap up and seeing him slumped against the tree she bears her teeth like an animal.

" _Motus_!" she lifts a hand and Kai is dragged roughly towards her, crying out in pain as his wounded back scrapes against the ground. She slams her hand into the snow as he lies in a groaning heap before her knees. Bonnie leans over him with the same murderous rage as before.

Kai smiles, feeling delirious. "You came back."

"What did you do?!" she punches his chest and he laughs, jerking at the touch. "Where's the Ascendant Kai!?"

"No idea," he smiles weakly in the face of her fury and when she roughly rips his coat open to search for the relic he lies below her, offering no resistance. "I don't have it but go ahead," he says, watching as she plunges into the pockets of his coat and then his jeans, until her shaking hands grip his belt. Any other time he would be out of his mind with glee at this search but her anger is giving way to fear.

"I was _out_ , I was back home but then a second later I'm back here. With you! It was in my hands," she slumps down, half straddling him, looking at her empty hands. Grimacing, Kai rises up on an elbow, looking at the clearing where she had appeared. The snow is clear, even if it shattered the pieces would be there.

"It's gone…" prickles of unease sweep over him. "It has to be here, it's connected to this world. Can't have one without the other..."

Bonnie inhales, muttering to herself. "Locating spell, find it and go. Okay," she inhales again, taking a calming breath but when her eyes lock with his all her attempts at peace crack. Angry tears pricking her gaze she leans close so he can feel her warm breath against his cheek. " _You are not coming_."

With a sudden movement she draws her blade up but Kai is ready for her. He lifts a hand and with a spell she flies off him. He struggles to his feet as Bonnie slides into the snow, reaching for the knife but with a flick of his fingers he sends it spinning into the trees.

"Come on Bon Bon, I'm not going to fight you."

"Too bad," she snarls and claws her hand, making Kai's knees buckle as his mind sears with agony. Teeth gritting with effort he stumbles forward and grabs her wrists. Bonnie inhales sharply as he takes her magic, pulling it from her with all his strength and speed. She falls to her knees and he goes with her, fingers tight around her struggling arms until she begins to weaken and the pain in his head stops.

"There," he pants, reeling from the flood of power he has taken as she desperately tries to curse him but he has weakened her ability significantly. At least for now. Both gasping for breath, his hands still gripping her, they glare at the other until she speaks.

"I hate you."

"I know...but we're even now," he considers and she scowls at him, tugging her wrists free. "We've been stab happy and double crossed each other. I left you behind, you just did the same to me."

"For sixty seconds! I was there for _months_ on my own."

"Try eighteen god damn years," he answers with surprising bite. Her eyes, which are filled with tears, burn at him.

"You left me and I wanted to, I wanted…" she cannot continue, her throat closing up with tears. Kai tilts his head, feeling a swell of pity and pain for her. It's not a new feeling but he still has no idea what to do with it.

"I know...but I came back," he speaks softly as tears run down her face and flurries of snow begin to fall again. She looks at him and he leans closer. "How do you think you ultimately got out of there?"

"Jeremy…" she answers gutturally, now looking unsure. "The map."

"I sent him back to stop you. I was half dead at the time, not that it should matter," he adds sardonically and she sniffs, wiping the back of her hand against her cheek. Kai exhales, breath misting in the cold air. "I just wanted you to know."

Bonnie gazes at him, eyes gleaming strangely and for a moment he thinks she's going to touch him but she shakes her head. "It doesn't change anything. I will _never_ trust you."

Kai smiles despite the disappointment. "Well you are sensible Bon."

"If I was I would kill you," she grumbles, getting stiffly to her feet. She shivers, the snow soaking into her jeans. Kai stands with her and pulls a face.

"Not so much then. If I die so does the rest of the coven, including Jo and her unborn twins."

Bonnie stills, mouth opening in shock and Kai smiles. "She - she's pregnant?"

"Yep. I'm gonna be an uncle."

"Then you should be here to protect them!"

Kai sighs, rolling his eyes. "I've known for weeks Bon, if I wanted to I would have killed her already. Me and sis came to an arrangement. She gave me her magic in exchange for never seeing this again," he points at his face and shrugs. "I thought it was fair."

Bonnie regards him sceptically, not knowing what to believe but he hopes she will in time. Before he wouldn't have cared but now he does. It's exhausting. The snow begins to fall steadily and he shivers, crossing his arms.

"I'm going to look for the Ascendant," she says mutely and begins to walk, not looking back to see if he follows. Kai does, limping in her steady footprints.

* * *

The house is still and cold, a few gas lamps burning against the dark. Kai waves a hand and candles flicker to life, casting their shadows on the walls.

"I need your blood," Bonnie demands and Kai turns, hand on his chest.

"What, _more_?" his eyes narrow playfully and Bonnie has to stop herself cursing him. It won't work. She thought he would be angry but he seems jovial for someone she literally stabbed in the back. She will never understand him.

"For the locating spell."

"A spell that you can't cast," he counters, stopping before her.

"Thanks to you."

"You were going to gut me like a fish. I could have done much, much worse," he reasons, pulling his gloves off with his teeth and she glares at him even as she considers the truth. "I really have changed Bonnie."

"I don't care," she smiles. She does not deny the truth, she can see the changes in him but that is as far as it goes. He exhales in annoyance. Her knife is back in the woods and she guesses he doesn't trust her with so much as a butter knife now. "Do the spell Kai."

He pulls out his pocket knife she had missed and pricks his finger as Bonnie spreads out a map they had found on a table. He glances at her as his blood drips. The Kai she had known was arrogant and self possessed, this nervousness around her is strange but she feels it has nothing to do with the threat she posses to him. Banishing his stuttering apology he had attempted at the rave from her mind she focuses on the map.

"So the only reason you came here, played nice, was to leave me behind? I never thought you'd have the capacity."

"For what?" she watches the blood gather, not looking at him.

"Cruelty."

"Guess you don't know me so well," she grips the table edge as he moves closer, arm brushing against hers. This rage swirling in her chest, making her head pound has been there for some time but Kai was the one to unlock it. He would probably be sickly proud at her ruthlessness, though in truth it had been Damon's idea to strand Kai in 1903 and what made her agree in the first place.

"Guess not...so, what happens when I locate the Ascendant?"

"I go home."

"Together," he adds and she looks up at him, her gaze devoid of feeling. Kai stares at her intensely, so close that she can count his eyelashes when he speaks softly.

"God you really hate me don't you?" he sounds regretful.

"Do the spell Kai," she answers, teeth gritted. She will not kill him but she has no intention of going back with him. He must read the judgement on her face because his gaze darkens and before she can stop him he smears the blood on the map, screwing it up in his fist.

"I think I've shed enough blood for you today Bon Bon."

"Kai!" she reaches for the map and he rounds on her until the back of her legs hit the table. Inches apart he speaks softly.

"We're going together or not at all."

"My magic will return soon and I won't need you! I will not spend another second with you."

"Tough. You used the Ascendant successfully but you got spat right back here, to me. Think there's a reason for that?" he lifts his brows and Bonnie shakes her head, grabbing the map caught between them.

"It must be you," she stresses but he leans close and she freezes, stops breathing as his mouth hovers by hers. Blue eyes gaze at her unblinking, the hard lines of his body pressed against her.

" _I did not bring you back_ ," he punctuates each word with a jerk of his hips, making her bang softly against the table and Bonnie feels her body burn. She swallows, licks her lips and remembers to breathe.

"Then what did?"

"Let's find out," he smiles and abruptly leans off her, leaving her to grip the ruined map in tight fists.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_I plan to switch between 1903 and 2017 every few chapters, just a reminder :)_


	3. Chapter 3

They find a globe in a freezing dark parlour after a long search, potted ferns and large empty bird cages standing still. Bonnie shivers, slotting her hands under her arms to keep warm. Despite the cold beads of sweat dot his pale face and he rubs at his forehead before concentrating on the spell. He dabs a bloody finger against the curved surface and Bonnie watches as it moves instantly, gliding through Virginia to stop exactly atop of the house they are in. She leans closer and her foot slides under her and she looks down to see a pool of blood. His.

"It's here, in the house," he smiles in relief, pointing and his fingers shake. He stares down and makes a grunting noise. "Probably not good."

Bonnie purses her lips and steps back hastily when his eyes roll back and he falls to the ground. He does not move, or even appear to breathe and Bonnie leans over him, her stomach turning.

"Kai? Still alive?"

"If I say yes will you finish the job?" he mumbles after a long stretch of silence, eyes opening a crack and his sickly pale face breaks into a grin.

"I could just leave you here to bleed to death. Find the relic on my own."

"Still need my magic," he croaks, grimacing as he turns on his side, trying to stand. His back and leg are a bloody mess. She feels her throat tightening at the sight and looks away.

"My magic will be back to normal by tomorrow. I'm finding the relic and then I'll never have to see your face again," she bends down, eyes on his and smiles. "Have fun in 1903, that's what you wanted right?"

Bleeding heavily and half conscious Kai growls something as Bonnie makes purposefully for the door but it bangs shut. She pulls on the handle with all her strength but it will not budge. She turns to find him on his front, hand outstretched and with one bleary grin he faints.

* * *

He wakes as a faint light seeps through his eyelids. He is on his chest, still on the floor and as he attempts to move agony shoots through his body. Vision going white Kai wills himself not to blackout.

"How do you feel?" comes her mock concerned voice and he smiles weakly.

"Like you stabbed me in the back."

He looks up. The room is flickering with a fire behind a grate and a few gas lamps are lit. The sky through the window is still dark. Bonnie sits curled in a chair, watching the snow. Chairs and a coat rack lay in pieces before the window and he knows she must have tried to break the glass to get out. It must have taken all of her self control not to smother him in his sleep. Which is progress. Kai moves slowly, until he rests against a wall, trying not to put any weight on his back but it's hard.

"If you die as coven leader here what happens?" she asks calmly and Kai lifts his eyebrows as his fingers gingerly inspect the wound in the back of his thigh.

"If the coven leader dies the prison worlds go with them...so bye bye Kansas," he looks at her, sees the way her eyes gleam and he presses ahead. "But you don't want that cause then all the other freaks that make up my coven go down with me."

Bonnie grinds her teeth. "It's a stupid rule."

"I know but I guess in a way it makes sense. They may hate the leader but he or she is their lifeline. Keeps everything so much simpler."

"It's insane."

"I'm not arguing, but it's a good way to avoid my own Ides of March," he shrugs, trying to get his coat off. He looks at the blood pooling over the floor and knows there must be a trail through the woods. He hums in consideration. "I should be dead with this much blood loss."

"But you're not," she adds a little too quickly and Kai stares at her. For the first time a glimmer of something besides her coldness shines through. He wouldn't call it compassion but it makes her uncomfortable. He focuses on it like a predator smelling blood.

"Feeling guilty?"

"You deserve what you got," she gets to her feet, not looking at him.

"Maybe...but I know you. In time the burden of your conscious would start weighing you down. It happened to me and I'm way more fucked up than you."

"That we can agree on," Bonnie sighs, stopping before him with her hands on her hips before bending down. "I need to find the relic so open the door Kai or I'll make you."

"Go ahead, I know you could but it won't make any difference. Like I said I should be dead," he looks at the room and the snow outside in consideration. "This is my family's prison world, not tailor made for me personally, but I think it knows who I am. I can't die here."

Bonnie leans closer. "I never wanted you to die, what would be the point in that? I wanted you to suffer."

Through the pain something worse flashes through him, leaving his throat tight. He pushes it away and gives her a wounded puppy stare. "You're like hurting my feelings."

She rises, making a low noise of exasperation. "You're the most annoying person I have ever met."

"Thanks...come on Bon, we both wanna get out of here asap. I'm not lying about wanting to start over. I plan to leave Mystic Falls and never see The Gemini Coven again. I'll never see _you_ again if that's what you want."

"...It is."

"Then let's make a deal. We make it out of here together and I swear I'll never darken your stoop again."

He stares up at her, waiting and feels a throb of success when she seems to relent. She gets down on her hunches, eyes narrowing in thought. "Not good enough. If you make it out without acting like a total psycho we'll part ways...but not before I remove every memory of me from your mind."

The ultimatum hangs in the air, one that he would accept without a second's hesitation a year ago but now he freezes, undecided. "Since I merged with Luke things that never bothered me started to. Like you. I don't wake up a day or sleep at night without you in my mind and it's _exhausting_. To be free of that, of you, would be awesome."

"Then why the frown?" she motions to his face and he smiles gently.

"Cause I like your face snarling at me more than sleep," he says and Bonnie rolls her eyes. "I'll agree to your demands but I bet by the time we get out of here you would have given me that chance."

"You're crazy. I will never forgive you."

"I'm not asking you to...but I like a challenge."

"I stabbed you!" she shakes her hands at him, at the end of her tether and he shrugs, trying to stand.

"And I said we're square. So let's start now. I'll open the door if you take my clothes off."

Bonnie claws her hands in the air with a strangled scream, forgetting she has no magic and he laughs. "You're disgusting."

"According to what you said on the way here there are vampires below us and I'm like a walking buffet thanks to you. Just wanna get the blood out of my clothes but you had to turn a perfectly innocent request salacious," he shakes his head at her, mortified and she looks like she is going to explode before she pushes it down with clear show of will. He just has time to grin innocently before she pushes him against the wall and roughly tugs his coat down his arms.

" _Don't say a word_ ," she hisses and though pain stabs through him at her rough handling he smiles and places a finger to his lips.

* * *

Bonnie had it all panned out. As soon as she returned to 2013 she was going to grab the ascendant and destroy it, stopping anyone from the present trying to reach Kai or the vampires below. She did not envision wiping blood from her enemy's back like a twisted Florence Nightingale.

"It's already closing up," she says, mouth twisting with distaste at the sight. Kai faces the wall, shirtless, hands placed against the fireplace to keep him steady. "You'll probably have a scar."

"Cool."

Bonnie wrings the cloth in her hands, fighting the insane compulsion to lift her top and show him the scar she has below her breast but forces herself to stop. Once he would have been pleased at his handy work but now she knows she will only see eyes gleaming with regret. She turns from him, dropping the bloody rag.

"I think you can manage the rest," she sits on the couch as he drops onto a lovers seat. He looks healthier, colour back in his skin. He cocks a brow at her.

"So you don't wanna get my pants off?" he says sarcastically before his fingers unbuckle his belt. Bonnie looks away, closing her eyes. The surreality of it all hits her and she laughs, feeling very tired.

"How is this happening to me?"

"It's not all bad. By tomorrow we'll be gone," he says and she hears the rustle of his jeans dropping, accompanied by a hiss of pain. "Sleep, look for the relic in the morning. It's in this house somewhere."

"Why do I have the feeling it's been kept guard?"

"By the vampires? I'm so stoked to see them," he says and his voice rings with relish. Bonnie takes a glance but quickly looks away. He had been lithe during 1994 but in the months he has been free he has clearly put on some muscle. He pulls up his pants, she hears the zip rasping together.

"Of course you'd excited to see bloodthirsty vampires who haven't tasted blood in a century."

"They're not just vamps Bonnie, once they were members of the Gemini Coven. They got banished here because they were like me. Lily Salvatore must have turned them in that time," he ponders and she turns to him as he zips up his hoodie.

"They could siphon magic?"

"And wanted the coven to croak," he draws a finger across his throat before slumping down onto the couch beside her. "Now they can't even move..." he stares into the distance as Bonnie regards him.

"So this place wasn't built for Damon's mom?"

"Of course not. Prison worlds are exclusively for people like us. Cause when you get down to it there's nothing scarier than a witch who stops giving a crap." He gazes at her, face unreadable before he gets to his feet. "Take the couch. We'll start the search during the day."

Bonnie watches him, a question springing to life, a question that had often floated into her mind during her isolation. "Do all covens have prison worlds?"

Kai turns to her, considering before shrugging. "I dunno. My family isn't exactly the best measure of sanity but this world and the other wouldn't exist without your family, without their blood and spells. So…" he peters off and lies down on the narrow lovers couch and a chill passes through Bonnie.

What if there is a Bennett prison world out there?

* * *

" _Sugar?"_

_Kai blinks as a beam of sunshine arcs into his eyes and disappears. A teapot gleams on a small table before him, cakes and crustless sandwiches neatly compiled on a tiered tray. He is sat at a round table with a delicate, thin faced man he has never seen before._

" _Is this a dream?" he asks, looking at the empty tables around them. Music plays faintly, a crackling echo._

" _This is afternoon tea, dear boy. The Ritz, to be precise."_

_The man pours some tea into a china cup and Kai leans forward. "What do you want?"_

" _Your assistance," the Englishman lays his cup down and stares sadly at Kai. "You're like us, banished for a quirk of birth."_

_Kai frowns, trying to focus but his senses feel dull. "You want out of here, don't you?"_

" _Yes but in time...please, enjoy the tea before it gets cold," the man says, sipping at his own cup and Kai brings his up to his lips and looks down. Blood is filled to the brim._

" _What the hell!" the cup shatters to the ground as he jumps to his feet and lights blasts through the room..._

"Wake up Kai. My magic is back," Bonnie shakes his shoulder and Kai jerks awake, disoriented and unnerved. Bonnie ignores him and walks to the door, his entrapping spell gone. He rubs a hand through his hair and sits up, watching her leave and hastily follows before he loses her.

* * *

" _Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras, Sequita Saguines…_ " Kai repeats the spell for what feels like the thousandth time but still no ascendant.

"We've gone through every room here," Bonnie throws a bunch of stockings back into a drawer and turns to Kai, who is searching under a bed. He rests back on his hunches, winching a little.

"You did the spell yourself so you know I'm not lying."

"Well where is it?" she had performed the spell early that morning, though her magic is still weak and she had narrowed the relic's whereabouts to the upper story of the building. However close they get it seems to be just out of reach. "Maybe someone enchanted it to move?"

"You got it fine last time and before you point fingers I haven't enchanted anything. I wanna get out of here as much as you." He gets to his feet and joins her in the middle of the room. His gaze shifts, looking sheepish before he speaks. "Did you dream last night?"

"What?"

"I had a weird one."

"I can only imagine the screwed up things your brain cooks up at night," she smiles thinly and turns from him. She knows that the Kai she knew, the certified sociopath, is all but gone but at least with him she knew that whatever he said or did was wholly self serving. This man who can just about stare her in the eye makes her feel unbalanced and she does not want to give him even a second of consideration but she cannot help herself.

"Some English guy came onto me and said I was his only hope...Then we stole a spaceship and blew up a planet. Wait, no that's Star Wars. Kinda."

"The Star Wars that can only exist in your mind," she presses her lips together, shaking her head. "No guy in my dreams, no dreams at all," Bonnie places a hand against her stomach, which rumbles.

"Hungry?"

"I'll eat when I'm free," she brushes past him and he follows. "There's only one place we haven't looked. Time for a family reunion."

"Yay…"

* * *

"Gross," Kai shines the light from the lamp against the face of one of the desiccated vampires and grins. "Like a mad vamp tea party."

Bonnie glances at the seated vampires before searching through the cellar. The ascendant has to be here, Elena found it before and the spell is now telling her it is in the room somewhere.

 _It's been telling me it's in every room we search..._ Bonnie shakes her head, sighing and turns. "Maybe it's invisible now?"

"Maybe but it's easy to uncloak that spell," Kai peers at one of the vampires at the end of the table, narrowing his eyes and then reaches over and plucks the hat from one of the ladies and places it on another stationary creature. All the vampires clasp hands, an oddly touching sight.

Bonnie bites her lip and gives him a withering stare as he proceeds to move the vampires around like a child with dolls. "Kai, stop messing around and help me look."

"Imagine how much fun it would have been if we had them in 1994. I'd have that one standing by the door like a butler. You're a coat stand," he tells the blonde woman, who does not move. Kai straightens, his enjoyment fading a little. "Sucks to be them."

"Don't get too close. They might look harmless but they'll rip your throat out if you give them the chance."

He smiles, coming to her. "You sound concerned."

"You wish. I don't want to spend any time here running from these people because you can't stop showing off."

He throws up his hands, saying nothing and Bonnie continues searching. Becoming increasingly dusty and agitated she and Kai turn the cold cellar over, both trying to hide their unease from each other. Kai tries an uncloaking spell but nothing appears. He lifts the gramophone and then lets it down with a thud.

"Nothing."

Bonnie shakes her head, staring at the vampires. "They must have it," she says through gritted teeth and Kai shakes his head.

"I searched," he makes a growling noise of frustration, hands gripping the table before he slams the gramophone again and music begins to play, echoing strangely around them. From below the music player the ascendant rolls out. Bonnie and Kai stare at it, speechless before they both whoop in delight.

"Yes!"

Kai laughs and pulls her to him, reaching for the relic with the other hand. She is so overjoyed that she does not care when he roughly kisses the side of her face and twirls her around in time to the music. Bonnie's gaze is fixed on the ascendant in his hand so misses the way his face falls, eyes burning with confusion but when her fingers skim the swirling metal she gasps.

"It - it's powerless."

"It can't be," Kai hisses as Bonnie takes it from him and begins reciting the spell, using Kai's switchblade to cut her finger. He holds her arms, eyes flicking up and down but before she can finish the incantation she is suddenly tugged from his arms.

"Kai!"

In their excitement they had ventured too close to the table and one of the vampires grabs Bonnie and slams her onto the table, biting into her arm. Momentarily stunned she does not react but then the vampire is gone and the smell of burning hair fills the air. Kai has set the vampire on fire.

He pulls her to his side, eyes searing with anger and she grips her bleeding arm, staring at the table. The vampires remain seated, even the one now on fire but now with her blood staining the tablecloth they snap their eyes down and then up at them.

"What the hell," she pants. The vampire in flames turns to them, still seated and smiles as if he had not seen them.

"Excuse the mess, we don't often have visitors," the voice is hoarse with decades of disuse. Transfixed they watch as the fire begins to die until only his clothes smoulder.

"You were in my dream," Kai says, surprising her and the man nods politely.

"Yes, my name is Malcolm. I hoped to talk to you before you came down here, to explain but you awoke. We were once like you, only able to use magic by siphoning from others. We were called aberrations of nature and shunned. I can only imagined you have been told much the same but it is not true. You are unique."

Kai clenches his jaw and Bonnie finds herself gripping his wrist but he stares unblinkingly at the vampire. Except he is unlike any vampire she has ever seen.

"What's wrong with the ascendant?" she asks forcefully and those eyes snap to her.

"Nothing. It's exactly where it should be," he smiles and then sighs in weary relief. "It has been so long and I know some of my friends had given up hope of a Bennett witch ever reaching us but here you are. Soon we will be restored and the leader of the Gemini Coven dead."

Kai stiffens, face carefully impassive, and Bonnie glances at him and away quickly. They do not know that Kai is the leader. "I'm not letting any of you out."

Kai glares at the ex coven member, conflict and something almost hungry on his face. "What are you?"

"Something that you could be. For centuries they called witches like you freakish, something not to be tolerated when most of us do nothing to warrant such judgement. We can thank a Bennett prophecy for that," he adds dryly, looking at Bonnie.

"Prophecy?" Kai moves closer but Bonnie keeps a tight grip on him.

"Oh yes. I'm not surprised you do not know, the Gemini Coven sought to keep it secret but we found out. They saw the inherent power within us and sought to oppress it. You see when a witch is transformed into a vampire they lose connection to Nature, severed from it but we...well, we are a little different."

Bonnie's eyes grow wide as Malcolm lifts a hand and freezes Kai with a spell before he can react. With a scream Bonnie is pulled forwards. "You're still a witch?!"

"In a manner of speaking," Malcolm says, clasping her bleeding arm and with the other he gently takes the hand of his nearest companion. "They called us heretics but we are nothing short of miracles."

"Bonnie!" Kai struggles forward and falls to his knees as Malcolm begins to chant the transportation spell. Kai sees the ascendant by his knees and looks up in bewilderment.

"Sorry my dear, but we have prepared for every eventuality."

"What have you done?" she pants and feels her magic not being drained but taken from her control. Power lashes through her, wielded by another.

"A witch of the Bennett line is our key out of here but that is no guarantee of escape. She could decide to leave us behind, as you had done, using the ascendant to travel. We studied that mistake and rectified it before coming down here."

Kai stares at them open mouthed, speechless and Bonnie speaks aloud what he cannot. " _I - I'm the ascendant?"_

"Yes. A rather ingenious plan, if I do say so," Malcolm smiles, looking up at the rock ceiling and begins chanting. Bonnie struggles, screaming curses but a sudden blinding light descends and the vampires disappear in the glare.

Kai falls to the ground, the cellar now dark, the music still playing. The restraining force gone he gets to his feet and quickly leans over Bonnie, turning her face to his. Tears slip from the corners of her eyes and he brushes his thumb against her wet skin before she loses consciousness.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_Uh oh, poor Bonnie :(_

_Next chapter will take place in 2017._


	4. Chapter 4

_2017_

Head thumping and with a horrible metallic taste in his mouth Kai lifts his head slowly. His wrists are bound tightly to a chair, as are his ankles but this predicament along with the pain is blasted from his mind.

_He has no magic._

"What - what did you do?" he groans, squinting in the gloom as a shadow emerges. Bonnie stops a few feet away, book clasped to her chest. A grimoire he guesses. Her jaw clenches, nostrils flaring before she smiles.

"It's gone. Completely."

Kai frowns, head lowering as a horrible panic spikes through him. He has been powerless before, endured it for decades but there had always been a lingering trace that proclaimed him a witch, even if he could do nothing with it. Now it feels like he's been sapped to nothing. His mouth goes dry even as he smiles.

"My magic has been siphoned."

"How do you like it?" she asks, coming closer and he gets a better look at her. She is dressed in a dark police uniform and a kink Kai never knew he had springs to life.

"Not so much but it's okay, it'll come back," he smiles, leaning back in the chair and Bonnie shakes her head, placing the spell book on a crate.

"This siphoning is a little different," she says and leans down, hands gripping his wrists. "I could leave you without magic forever."

Kai stares at her fierce green eyes and with another swoop of shock he believes her. "Bonnie...I'm no threat to you. I just want to know what happened."

"You don't remember?" she asks quietly and he shakes his head.

"I remember being stuck there clearly and all that time that followed but when I try to think of us getting out..." he concentrates, trying to remember but again his head fills with that white roaring and he sighs. "All I know is that we did something we probably shouldn't have to get out."

Bonnie nods before stopping, deliberating what to say before she exhales, eyes glassy. "I woke up back in Portland with no memory. I almost died...I thought you were dead," her voice shakes a little and she clears it, looking behind her as a door creaks open. Small faces peer in, looking concerned and something in Kai squeezes painfully. Bonnie quickly moves to the twins, quietly but firmly ushering them away and with looks of disappointment the door is closed.

"They're like me, aren't they? _They_ took my magic," his voice is rough and wants to open the door and bring them before his eyes again. Bonnie remains standing in the shadows, back to him but he can see her head shaking.

"Whatever you're thinking right now is wrong," she says, voice hitching as she turns and comes back. Her hands are balled into fists. "They are _nothing_ like you, they have nothing to do with you."

"You're lying. How old are they? Three? I know how long it's been since we -"

He stalls as she lifts a hand, eyes blazing and he yells as his mind flashes with pain before it is suddenly gone. Panting he drops his head and a silence stretches, thick with tension before he lifts his gaze to her. Tears rim her eyes, the spell book back against her chest.

"How did you get here?"

"I dreamt of you," he answers weakly, lifting his head to rest against the back of the chair. "Every night I dream of you, the front door to this house and the street leading to it. I've been in a comatose state for years but a few weeks ago I woke up. Back to the future again," he smiles and her lips twitch.

"You haven't come for them? I thought you came to take them, their magic..."

"I didn't even know they existed until I stepped into this house. Which, by the way, has an incredible cloaking spell around it."

"Not so incredible if you got in," she waves her hand at him and comes closer, her previous distrust fading. He has a memory of the same expression on her face as he lead her onto an empty dance floor, snow falling outside...

"One thing I do remember is that you started to trust me and I think you remember that too," he smiles, eyeing his restraints and Bonnie hesitates before putting the spell book down and leaning over him.

"I really did look for you, I looked everywhere but there was no trace. I - I thought you didn't make it out."

"I think that was the risk," he says and smiles. He has been angry since waking, a strange remnant of a feeling that has plagued him. She had done something, something to make him him lose it but every time he tries to grasp it it vanishes, leaving that cloud of bitterness. He regards her thoughtfully, at the green eyes that can barely meet his and whatever anger remains it is nothing to the swelling elation filling him since stepping into the house.

"I might have ended up like De Niro in _Awakenings_ but it was worth it," he watches her lick her lips, cheeks flushing and he remembers the feel of those lips against his, her body trembling in his arms. He had flooded with a power he could hardly contain, a power so rapturous it left his mind a blasted wasteland. The sudden memory leaves him breathless, an ache for more and he tries to master it.

She removes the cuffs and leans back sharply, as if knowing his thoughts. "I hardly practice any more, my life is different now."

Kai wants to touch her desperately, to tell her that the mistakes he made are in the past. Troubled he focuses on the present, eyeing her rumpled uniform. "You're a policewoman _and_ a mom!"

She bites the inside of her cheek, conflicted and he holds his breath as she clearly battles what to say. Finally she lifts her chin, face like marble. "What happened in 1903 is in the past. I want you gone."

"Bonnie, come on. They're twins...they kinda run in my family."

"...I can't do this. We've finally got to a safe place. No more running. I won't put them in danger," she stresses and suddenly he can really see how weary she is. What has happened since she got out?

"They're not in any danger from me," he says, standing and reaches for her but she steps back. He balls his fists. "You have to believe me?"

"I don't want you around them," she says gutturally, turning away. "I have to keep them safe."

"Bonnie please? After everything we went through in 1903, what we did...just - just give me some time before you turf me out? I swear I'll do what you want but just _wait_ ," he stares pleadingly at her back and Bonnie sighs, shoulders dropping. She casts him a glance over her shoulder.

"One day."

Outside the door excited giggles burst alive before being quickly stifled and they hear small feet running away.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_So the first half of this fic will primarily focus on their time in 1903 but with segues to the present. Once they do get out of the prison world the story will shift permanently to the present._


	5. Chapter 5

Kai had half carried her out of the cellar to a bedroom, Bonnie silently crying until she had slept, exhausted. That had been days ago. He has seen her on her feet once since then, drifting along a corridor like a ghost, gaze vacant. He had left food by her bed but she had only screamed for him to leave her alone. She has not eaten in days.

He walks through the house in darkness, the morning sun still an hour away. Sleep has eluded him, mind whirling with what had happened until he forced himself to focus. Sitting by a window in the room Bonnie sleeps in he gazes down. On the table is some toast and tea, untouched. The metal box in his hands is cold and dead, nothing of the magic that infused it remains. He repeats the spell again, voice going hoarse from overuse.

Bonnie stirs, eyes opening slowly before focusing on her arm. He had bandaged the wound the vampire-witch had made as she slept. Kai holds his breath, saying nothing as she sits up. Her eyes are like the box in his hands, heavy and dead.

"...Did you siphon my magic?" she asks, surprising him. She sounds calm and level.

"No. Is it gone?"

"It's weak…" she grimaces, resting against the headboard. "Whatever they did it - it took a lot from me," here her voice shakes and Kai places the ascendant on the table, wanting to go to her but not knowing what to do once he is there. He stays seated. Her gaze falls on the metal box and a spark of fire appears as she throws the covers off and gets out of bed. She gasps as her bare feet touch the floor but she hurries as fast as she can. She grabs the box, flipping it open.

"I can't activate it, I've tried everything," he says but she ignores him, whispering a spell under her breath. The gears and chains remains stuck but she says another and another, frowning heavily in concentration until she shakes. A thin trickle of blood flows from her nose and Kai touches her arm, saying her name with concern. She shrugs him off with a terrible look, grabbing the table to steady herself before falling into the chair beside his.

"My magic isn't strong enough...This is not happening. It has to be a trick," she pleads to herself, before her gaze meets his. Tears rim her lashes.

"I don't know how they've done this but...there has to be an ascendant in every prison world, it's just how it works. They used you Bonnie," he says gently as she leans back, shaking her head. Biting the inside of her cheeks she examines the box again until her hands shake so much she suddenly throws it against a wall with a scream.

"I can't do this! Not again!"

"You won't have to! We're getting out of here," he stresses, leaning closer. "The other ascendant is still in 2013. They just have to find a Bennett witch to activate it and come get us."

"If they still have it! Those freaks probably have it now. They could hide or destroy it."

The thought had crossed his mind and it is likely the truth. The Heretics want to kill the Gemini coven leader and once they find out they've left him behind in 1903? They will either return to finish the job or…

"Leave me here."

"What?"

"Nothing," Kai stands, nervous energy pulsing through every vein. He was free, finally, after so long alone only to end up back where he started? Pain floods through him, a feeling that leaves him weak and disorientated. He hates it. Bonnie watches him pacing, face thunderous and he only realises that she is offering her hand when he collides with her.

"You're not stuck here. You can leave," she says, her voice calm again but her eyes burn. Kai stares at her open mouthed, eyes flicking from her bandaged covered arm to her face.

"You can't travel between worlds Bonnie, not any more."

"I know...but you can. Use me," she moves closer and he freezes, breathless. He only has to touch her, say the spell and he'll be home...to a group of homicidal maniacs. He narrows his eyes.

"Those... _witchpires_ are probably counting on this happening. If I did use you I'd be dead the moment I got back."

She manages to smile and it is awful. "As a powerful coven leader I think you'll manage to survive. Awful people like you always do. That's the risk you'll have to take."

"Why are you doing this? Do you hate me so much that you'd rather give up and spend an eternity alone? This martyr complex you have is insane; it even stretches to your enemies," he laughs, unable to stop himself and she sneers at him.

"You don't know a thing about me."

"I know you can't bare being alone. I know what it did to you, what _I did_ and I won't make that mistake again," his gaze is sombre, appearing utterly sincere and she stills, watching his face carefully. She has a fracture inside her now and he knows the right pressure can rip it wide open. It is a terrible knowledge to have and even more so because she knows he has that power.

"Your words sound so convincing but I won't buy them. I can't. You've changed, fine but we are not friends and never will be. It _hurts_ me to look at you, I feel like drowning. Do you understand? I despise you," her words are almost gentle, coming from a place of deep vulnerability. He pushes down the surge of pain, suffocating it until he smiles.

"Fine, you can hate me all you want but I meant what I said. At the diner you said coming here was my way of making amends. You didn't mean it, it was just a ploy to trap me...but I did come here to do that. I got you out before Bonnie and I can do it again."

Bonnie remains silent, weighing his words until she looks aside, her lips pursing. " _I_ got me out last time. Got an infection and broken toes to prove it."

"I helped. You couldn't see me but I was Swayze to your Demi Moore."

"Minus the pottery wheel," she mutters, turning away and he smiles. When he starts humming _Henry the Eighth I_ _Am_ she orders him out, throwing a snuff box as the door slams shut behind him.

* * *

Days pass, mornings filled with snow and nights shifting with strange lights in a constant stream. Soon she has trouble grasping what day it should be but Kai, who seems to have some kind of internal clock, assures her daily.

"Day nine," he says, leaning over a notebook. He uses a fountain pen to score it off, ink staining his fingers. Since she had reconciled herself to the fact that she did need help they had come to an unspoken agreement. Each morning they eat breakfast in the dining room, a meal of scones, eggs, bacon, fruit and tea. He had sussed his way around the turn of the century kitchen, something that she had avoided but he seems to enjoy it. She had not wanted to eat anything he had prepared but soon her hunger had overtaken her suspicion. He is a skilled cook and she knows he craves validation so it gives her pleasure to give him none. Kai, so new to processing emotions, cannot keep the hurt from his face.

"You have the emotional maturity of a four year old."

He beams in mock pleasure. "I'm developing."

Bonnie rolls her eyes, grabs a scone and leaves him to clean up. Afternoons are spent searching through the house, looking for any objects of magic. The Salvatore estate, now a ruin in the present, was home to witches and where witches go spell books and witchy woo follow.

"Found one but it's gibberish," Kai dumps a thick leather bound ledger onto the dining room table. "If the Heretics had any personal grimoires they must have taken them when they beamed up."

Bonnie slides the book over. Spell books always have a resonance to them, a mild vibration that makes a witch tingle when their fingers brush over the pages. Kai cannot read what is inside but he knows a grimoire when he touches one. Her heart stops when she sees the inscription on the fly leaf.

" _Property of Emily Bennett_ ," Bonnie whispers and Kai frowns, coming to her side. He places his finger on the neatly written text.

"I can see letters but they just swim when I try to read it. You can?"

Bonnie smiles and for the first time in days experiences a swell of happiness. "Emily was my ancestor, she worked here around the civil war. She must have put a spell on it so no one but a Bennett witch could read what was inside. You didn't want to be accused of being a witch, even back then."

"Smart. So what's in there?"

Bonnie closes the book and clutches it to her chest. "If there's anything useful you'll know."

Kai sighs, irritated. "Don't be so paranoid. I can't read it anyway..." he watches her leave and stares gloomily out of the foggy window as snow falls heavily.

* * *

After eating dinner together their nights are spent alone. Since neither arrived with a change of clothes and shopping for necessities is not an option they had begun pilfering through wardrobes. Bonnie does this reluctantly, using magic to keep her clothes clean but wearing the same thing day after day makes her feel even more disorientated about the passage of time. Before clothes were massed produced garments were either self made or tailored, so she finds bespoke dresses and petticoats made for others but after some rummaging she finds some things that will fit.

"Close enough," she buttons up a pale blue blouse with a high neck and looks down at the full length skirt on the bed. "Maybe another day." She knows it is silly but it feels like giving in. She does not want to feel comfortable, she wants nothing to distract her from getting home, her hours spent tirelessly searching through the grimoire to undo the binding forced onto her.

Head in the spell book one morning she ventures into the kitchen and stops dead. She has not been to this area of the house for days, as it is not her section. Kai has the kitchen and parlour, Bonnie the conservatory and bedrooms in the west wing. They share the dining room, library and bathroom. Kai had almost cried in relief that the house has indoor plumbing, along with a flushing water closet. Bonnie walks into the kitchen.

The huge wooden table is weighed down with an assortment of cakes, muffins, breads and pastries. A smorgasbord large enough for a dozen people, not two.

"What the hell happened?"

"I stress bake," Kai admits, looking a little ashamed. Flour dusts his cheek and hair. "Nothing goes to waste, all the ingredients become fresh when the day resets."

Pots and pans click and clack in a soapy washbasin, scrubbing themselves. Bonnie tries to keep her face impassive but she wants to laugh. Her grams said that magic should not be used for menial tasks but she had always wished to integrate it into every aspect of her life, even the mundane.

"I suppose this is how you grew up," she considers, picking up a plum tart and Kai nods.

"Our property was always cloaked, we could use magic freely."

"Sounds nice," _before you ruined everything_ , she thinks but keeps silent. She bites into the tart and turns from him, hiding her pleasure. Beautifully decorated pies line a shelf and she shakes her head. "You're stressed?" she asks, looking back and the smile on his face fades. He shrugs.

"There is a solution, we'll find it...but it's just taking longer than I imagined."

Bonnie wipes her hands, battling a stab of unease. "It's testing your patience. It must kill you to have the key right within reach and only your resolve to stop you."

Kai frowns, coming closer but stops when she stiffens. "Bonnie I didn't force you to come and I didn't trap you here. Sue me, yes, I wanna go home and I've had to stop myself more than once...but I'm still here."

"For now," she says quietly and walks from the kitchen. He had said once he wished to be as patient as she is and every day she feels it is a test to that proclamation. She works feverishly to leave but a part deep inside wants to find a solution before his patience snaps and he leaves her for good.

* * *

Nightmares chase away sleep most nights and she ends up walking through the house, always stopping outside his door to make sure he is still there. Every time she hears his breathing a horrible relief sweeps through her, leaving her ashamed and sick with it. Sometimes the nightmares lock her in sleep, unable to escape until she gasps awake in the weak morning light or screams, which ends with Kai bursting into her room. The worst is when she thinks she is awake...

She dresses, pinning her hair up off her neck and decides to wear the simple brown skirt and petticoats. She stares at herself in the mirror. She looks severe but composed. Smiling gently she makes her way to the dining room, stealing herself for what Kai will say but the room is empty. No breakfast is laid out like it is every morning. He always awakens before her. Her eyes glance at the window and all the air leaves her lungs.

The snow is gone.

"Kai? Kai?" she looks over the grounds and smiles. Water drips off branches and bushes, snow melting in slushy piles under trees. She calls his name again and again but receives no answer. Fighting a rising panic she walks hastily to the kitchen. It is littered with his creations but no sign of the cook. Unable to keep the alarm contained she runs out of the kitchen and into the freezing grounds.

A waist high maze separates the garden from the lawn and a small fishing lake, which until now has been iced over. Bonnie grips her skirt in fists, trying and failing not to shout his name but only the wind answers her. No animals live in this world, there is no birds or fish, not even mice. A familiar shrinking sensation overwhelms her until she cannot breathe.

_She is alone._

Bands of panic squeeze her chest, her heart bursting to be free and the cold air is sucked in feebly through her mouth. Reaching for something to hold onto she falls to her knees, pulling at the high collar around her neck. Groaning she grips the brittle grass under her and draws on the slumbering life in each blade. The reaction is unthinking, magic answering to her need and as air is gulped into her lungs dark veins spread through her hands.

"Bonnie?"

At the sound of his voice she turns slowly to him and grins. Later he would say she looked like one of those euphoric bodhisattva statues, except terrifying. The grin vanishes in an instant and she makes a strange strangled noise.

"Am - am I dreaming?"

"No. What's wrong?"

"You weren't there," she pants, rising to her knees.

"Oh...my bad," he shrugs, hands in the pockets of the new black pants he had found. A white hot fury arcs through her head and she lifts her hand.

" _Motus!_ "

Kai inhales sharply and just has time to process her insane rage before he falls into the icy pond with a scream.

* * *

"I don't know why I keep apologizing because you had a freak out. I'm probably going to get pneumonia thanks to you." Kai pulls the blanket closer around his shoulders, the fire roaring beside him. The parlour is the warmest room in the house, after the kitchen. Bonnie wrings his wet scarf in her hands.

"Well I don't want to get my hopes up too high...I thought you had gone."

"I know. I get it," he smiles, tilting his head and Bonnie lowers her hands.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? To see how I would react."

"Come on Bonnie. I know how you react, you wake me up almost every night so it's no mystery," he watches her warily as she comes closer, the scarf twisting in her hands again.

"I bet you enjoy it. Don't get confused Kai. I don't care about you...you're just company, a body. You could be anyone. So if you're reading anything into what happened you're wrong."

Kai frowns, leaning forward. "Wait, do you think I like you? I mean _like_ like?" he grins. Bonnie thrusts the scarf at him, which he tugs from her fingers. She leans closer until he can feel the warmth of her breath against his lips. She looks up at him demurely from under her eyelashes.

"What? Don't my palms do it for you any more?" she simpers, offering her hands and is rewarded with a lemon sucking face. She leans back, smirking, and his expression grows softer.

"I'm not going anywhere Bonnie...but I am going stir crazy. Everyday is snowmageddon," he motions to the window, which is already a blank white.

"It sucks," she relents but a part of her does not believe him. He likely does get some misconstrued pleasure and validation from her panic at losing him.

"Which is why I melted the fuck out of it this morning. You should try it, it's a great pressure valve."

"Either that or build snowmen," she says and he gasps.

"Hadn't thought of that."

"Because you default mode of fun is destruction," she smiles, stifling a yawn. She lifts her arms over her head, stretching and her blouse slips free of her waistband. Kai grunts.

"When did you get a tattoo?"

"What?"

"On your back," he points and Bonnie frowns, fingers touching the skin visible.

"I didn't…" she cranes around then moves to the floor length mirror. Kai moves behind her, carrying a candle. Back facing the mirror she tugs up the blouse and cranes her neck again to look. She growls in frustration. "I can't really see."

"Let me," he comes closer, reaching for the top but she rounds on him and he backs away. "Okay...does your cell still have any battery left? Take a picture?"

"It's dead," Bonnie lifts the top, unaware that her midriff is visible until Kai goes still. She glances at him but his eyes are on the scar. Bonnie pulls the blouse down quickly, unable to stand his suddenly guilty face.

"Bonnie I -"

"No. I just want to know what the hell this is," she brushes past him, heading for the grimoire when he takes her arm.

"Wait I have an idea," he motions to the mirror and she lets him position her. "It looks like it goes all the way up your spine," he whispers behind her and she frowns, breathing heavily. His fingers skim the nape of her neck and she shivers. "There are markings here too...take it off," he tugs at the blouse and she flushes with heat.

"No."

"I'm going to use a spell to freeze your reflection. You'll be able to look at it. I'll look away to protect your modesty," he adds stuffily and Bonnie shakes her head.

"Just tell me the spell."

"Can't do it without looking fully at your own reflection."

"For god's sake…" Bonnie quickly unbuttons the top, eyeing him all the while but he stares at a wall until she barks at him to get on with it. Top clutched against her chest Kai moves her closer to the glass and then speaks.

" _Consto speculum_."

Hands on her shoulders he turns her around and Bonnie peers at the mirror. Her reflection does not move, showing her bare back and her stomach turns at the sight. It feels unnatural. Kai brings another lamp over and they crowd around the mirror.

Starting at the nape of her neck a series of fine chains sweeps down her back, tracing her spine before a circular pattern swoops around her lower back. Wheels and cogs make up the central image and as she leans closer she can see the chains have minuscule words threading through them. Everything shimmers with a metallic gleam, not ink at all.

"The binding spell. I had no clue, I felt nothing..."

It is grotesquely beautiful, an intricate design that must have taken someone years to create. Unbidden she thinks of the key to the 1994 prison world and with an odd sinking feeling she knows that equally detailed contraption was not made in a hurry. Kai's family must have thought about imprisoning him long before May 10th...

"At least we have something to work with now," Kai says, breaking into her thoughts. His fingers glide gently over her reflection and it feels perverse.

"Don't touch."

"I'm not."

"Not even my reflection," she straightens as he rolls his eyes but drops his hand. He gazes up at her, considering before standing and walking to the parlour table. He picks up the old ascendant.

"Without magic this is just a hunk of junk…" his eyes gleam in thought as Bonnie buttons up her blouse, back to him but she does not like the excited sound of his voice.

"Do you have an idea?"

"Yeah but you're not gonna like it," he places the metal box in her hands. "Transfer your magic into this. All of it."

"Like I did with Miss Cuddles?"

"Yes. That way you won't be the ascendant and like I said there _has_ to be one. I think the binding spell will switch back."

Bonnie narrows her eyes in distrust. "How do I know you're not just going take it for yourself? My magic is powerful," for a moment she is flooded with a strange afterglow of intense pleasure and shakes her head to clear it but it thrums gently through her body.

"Please. Come back to me when _you're_ the leader of the Bennett coven and then we'll talk about whose magic is more powerful," he grins at her withering stare and closes her fingers over the box. "This could work."

"If it doesn't?"

"Then we'll go make those snowmen."

* * *

Bonnie watches the _Aurora Borealis_ dancing above her, the night sky clear of snow. They stand in a clearing, breath misting between them with each exhale. It had taken her days to agree but she had only consented once she has put some protective measures in place. Not that Kai needs to know that…

"Okay, let's do this," Kai places the box in her hands and then slots his own under hers. Bonnie inhales, shaking. She had transferred her magic into the metal box earlier and while a simple spell can reclaim it back she feels vulnerable being powerless beside him again.

"What will you do if we get back?"

" _When_ we get back," he corrects before shrugging. "Go back to Portland. Whether they like it or not I am the leader. I should, you know, probably start doing that."

Bonnie cocks an eyebrow. "Right after you deal with the Heretics? I assume we'll have company when we get back."

"Right and not the kind that throws you a party. Wanna help?" he smiles.

Revenge spikes through her but on the heels of that a laden worn out tiredness. "Taking down a group of psychotic witchpires is not exactly what I had in mind. I'm going on vacation, a _long_ one. You are _not_ invited," she adds and he shrugs, grinning.

"I'm just happy I got you to say _witchpires_."

Bonnie presses her lips together and, looking down, drips blood onto the box before closing her eyes. "Now or never... _Sangima Maerma, Bernos Asescenda. Sangima Maerma, Bernos Asescenda. Sangima Maerma…"_

Kai chants along with her, feeding his magic into the spell. Bonnie keeps her eyes squeezed shut, unable to look but when the box suddenly begins to shake in her hands her eyes fly open. Light pulses from the metal, the rays so bright that they squint in the glare. Bonnie looks up, waiting for the light to beam down but no light appears. Instead the box shakes more violently, overheating as the cogs and wheels spin madly and with a sudden cry of pain Bonnie stumbles and the ascendant falls to the ground. She crouches over, gasping as it feels like her entire back is on fire.

"What's happening?" Kai asks, eyes wide as the box suddenly floats up, hovers for a moment before it explodes like a star going supernova. Light blasts through their minds, sending their bodies tumbling through the air until, with a pained jolt, darkness takes them.

* * *

"Day...sixty? Sixty three?" Kai guesses but he had miscounted some weeks ago, he is sure. "Star date whatever and ever...captain's log: Scotty still has not beamed us up. Assume a technical problem with the teleporters. Other inmate going insane, think she is plotting ways to murder me. Same day, same old shit...Kirk out."

Kai throws the pen onto the table and stands. Since the 1903 ascendant had vaporised in their attempt to get out and they had awoken in groaning heaps Kai had assumed that Bonnie's magic had gone with it. He should not have underestimated her...

"Horcrux," she said, showing him a blue cameo brooch. Other trinkets swing in a plush bag over her wrist.

"Horwhat?"

Her face fell and she looked genuinely sad. "You never read Harry Potter...and now you never will. I stored my magic is some objects, just in case something went wrong. Which, surprise, it did."

She whispered the magic absorption spell but he knew it would take weeks for her magic to be back at full power. Now it almost is but it does nothing to change their mood.

"Like having a full tank, keys in the ignition but nowhere to go," he sighs and leaves the room, heading out to the garden, where Bonnie sits. This early in the morning the snow has not fallen but the sky is heavy with clouds. A group of ten foot snowmen stand at either end of the lawn, like sentinels and each has a tree branch in one roughly created hand.

Bonnie sits on the lip of the fish pond, chin in her hand and he sits beside her, hands in his coat pockets. She had taken to dressing in floor length dresses now, making alterations with magic and painstaking hand work to fit her body. He dresses in someone else's pants, shirts and suspenders. At first it was fun but the novelty has worn off now, at least for him but the sight of her every morning takes him aback.

"Chess?"

"War," she says and he smiles. It always is.

"Don't fight dirty this time," he warns and she pulls a face before getting to her feet. She walks to the centre of the lawn, at the edge and he joins her. They both lift a hand, eyeing each other for a moment and then say the spell.

" _Animatus!_ "

Bonnie and Kai move aside as the snowmen shudder and then straighten. One of Bonnie's on the right lifts an arm and throws the tree branch like a javelin. It hits the belly of one of his snowmen and it explodes in white powder.

"One to me."

"I didn't say start," he grins and with both hands stretched out his remaining snowmen leap forward. Pandemonium breaks out, with snowmen being decapitated and disembowelled, exploding in clouds of snow and shattering branches. Bonnie and Kai prowl the perimeter, eyes gleaming with a violent glee as two of their fighters clash, branches acting like swords.

"Take his head off!" Bonnie screams but the snowman misses and Kai laughs as it spins. He attacks, hitting the snowman's flank and it explodes.

"Yes! Victory!" Kai laughs but it dies when his snowman suddenly loses its head as another appears from the trees.

"I win," Bonnie grins smugly as her snowwoman takes a bow and then collapses with the rest of the snow. Kai stares at her with a shocked grin, knowing she never fights fair but wanting to see how she would surprise him today. It beats not having a television. He bows, imitating the snowman and then Bonnie screeches as snow pelts her dress.

"Cheater! Five fighters each," he ducks as a snowball sails over his head only for another to smack the side of his face. "No magic!"

"Where's the fun in that?" she pants, grin stretching her mouth as she shapes snow in her hands. Her gaze is burning with a wicked predatory excitement but he knows a part of her is ashamed at taking pleasure from this game but it's either this or they start sticking real swords into each other. It had almost come to that and so this had been his idea.

Dodging missiles he flings his own and she screams as her small hat is knocked off. Laughing and distracted she does not stop him as he had expected and he collides with her, hooking his arm around her waist before they slip in the snow. Landing half on top of her he stares at her face, which is flushed from the cold and something else.

"You're happy."

Bonnie gazes at him and her lip curls. "Cause I beat you. There isn't anything else that gives me pleasure," she looks aside as snowflakes begin to fall slowly around them, settling in her hair. One falls into her eyelashes and he gently presses his thumb to it, making her eyes close. He lets it melt against his skin before brushing his fingertips over her cheek and her eyes flutter open. It has been two months, two months of seeing her everyday, her and only her. Once he had confessed that she was the only thing he could think about and now he has no reason to feel confused. Kai imagines he consumes her thoughts as completely as she does his. It feels natural.

His eyes trail over her face, a slow search that comes to rest on her lips, which are parted. Their breaths cloud and mingle, he is sucking her in with each inhale. He breathes out, waits and watches her breath in. A heat sparks inside him and he shifts, his hips grinding into her as she stares at him transfixed. It is only when he lifts his eyes to hers that he sees how appalled she is.

"Bonnie?"

"Get off me."

"I uh...I...okay, okay," he gets on his knees and she shuffles out from beneath him, getting to her feet. He stares up at her, deeply confused and incredibly flustered.

"We either find another way or you leave," her voice hitches.

"I'm not going to use you," he says, not meaning for his words to convey anything else but they do. Bonnie nods, pulling on her gloves.

"I mean another house. I'm not your friend," she says but her statement has no real power now but he nods anyway, getting to his feet. Their clothes are wet and dusted with snow. Kai smiles.

"Whatever you say…" he watches her walk back into the house, giving himself some time before following her in. Whatever just happened he feels it has tilted the scales of their cooperation forever.


	6. Chapter 6

_1903_

_Summer sunshine filters through the curtain, which lifts and falls in a lazy breeze. The house is quiet and calm, a late Sunday morning peace...until a rhythmic pulse spreads through the rooms, sending rainbow pin-wheels spinning, tea cups shuddering and music playing. The pulse settles and the house quiets before another and another slow throb ripples outwards, sending a momentary burst of activity throughout the house. The epicentre is a back bedroom…_

_His fingers dance over her back, a beam of dappled light bathing them. Her hips rock a slow, gentle grind against his pelvis, her belly and breasts pressed against his chest. She brushes her fingers over his eyelashes, along the tip of his nose to his mouth, her touch barely there. The tenderness borders on cruelty, any chance of release in the hands of another. Aching sweetness builds and his eyes roll back, body arching below her and the room bounces and quakes. She stops and the pressure ebbs...he is going to lose his mind..._

"Please?" Kai begs, eyes springing open. Hands reach for someone above him but he is alone in bed. He slumps down, panting and clutches the covers in tight fists. The same dream has been haunting him for days, since the morning he almost kissed Bonnie in the snow. It wouldn't be so bad if the dream was just a hard and fast encounter but the gentle slowness of it is torture and he wakes every time grasping for the edge only for it to be snatched away. Growling he throws the covers back, shocked by the chill of the room, and quickly puts his hoodie on, movements jerky and irritated. Unable to sleep he walks out, half expecting Bonnie to be standing there. A few times he has caught her running away but any attempt to talk about her nightly ventures is met with mute denial. She is also pretending the day in the snow never happened, which is fine with him.

Kai heads into the small library, which is dark and cold. " _Phasmatos incendia_ ," he points at the fireplace and the logs catch and begin to crackle behind the grate. As light illuminates the room he stiffens when he catches sight of Bonnie asleep in an armchair. Legs are curled up under her, a book in her lap. She must have fallen asleep while reading. A blanket has slipped down her arms and he moves to cover her but she stirs. Kai hesitates, feeling peculiar. He finds himself desperate to touch her but since the snow fight he has kept his distance, the usual coldness surrounding her now like ice. She moves her head, frowning and moans. Another nightmare?

"Bonnie? Bon?"

"Kai?" Bonnie jerks awake, gasping at the sight of him so close. "What are doing here?" she shivers, breathing heavily and he pulls the blanket around her.

"Couldn't sleep…nice dreams?" he asks and she looks aside, shivering harder. "I think if I left you a few more hours you'd be all frosty and sparkly," he smiles as she clumsily bats his hands away, clutching the blanket to her chest and the book on her lap slips to the floor. He picks it up, tilting his head.

"I was reading that."

"Not unless you can read in your sleep," he moves out of her reach and flips the book open. Neat handwriting crosses the pages, along with diagrams and mystical symbols. "A grimoire?"

"I don't think so. It's more like a journal. It belonged to one of the Heretics," Bonnie gets to her feet, letting the blanket fall as she rakes the fire and the room heats up. She is dressed in a white dressing gown, which she belts closed as she sits at the reading table. Kai takes a seat beside her, laying the open book down.

"Anything interesting?" he and Bonnie have turned the house over for anything that will help them leave but so far they have come up dry. Bonnie shrugs and points at a length of rope he had missed lying on the table.

"I tried doing an unknotting spell."

"The rope acting as the binding agent?"

She nods, looking disappointed. "Didn't work...but I did find something else in there," she sits up, sliding the book closer to her and Kai leans forward. She leafs through the pages and stops, finger tapping. "Remember that Heretic said something about a Bennett prophecy?"

"Yeah?" Kai stares at where she is pointing and reads aloud. " _Centuries ago a witch of the Bennett line, a seer, foretold the coming of a breed born of abominations, of parasites. These siphoners originate only from the Gemini coven, which has for eons oppressed and scorned those born different from their brethren. I see now the hate which has infected my ex-family is truthfully born of fear. They fear what we will become and they should."_

Kai looks up, eyebrows raised and Bonnie nods. "I think your coven knew that any siphoner witch could potentially become a Heretic, though I don't think they knew what that was exactly. Until now no one thought a vampire who was once a witch could retain their power. My mother didn't," she adds and Kai leans back.

"I didn't know your mom is a vamp. You never said."

"Well it's not something that you just drop into a conversation, especially with you," she smirks quickly and he copies her before looking down at the journal.

"Vampires are creatures of magic, the Heretics must sap that magic. An unending supply," Kai sits back, gaze far away as he imagines the prospect. Bonnie narrows her eyes.

"Jealous?"

"That they have witchy woo on tap? Hell yes. The other crap I don't like so much. Did I ever tell you that some vampires found our coven when I was a teenager?" Bonnie shakes her head and Kai grins. "Portland was pretty boring, there was hardly any action, especially cause we lived in the middle of nowhere but I realised it was because they knew not to mess with us. Two not so lucky vampires didn't get the memo and started eating people in the town near by."

"What happened?"

"Me and dad captured and tied them to a stake in our backyard. Then we waited for the sun to come up," Kai grins, relishing the memory. "Young vampires go up like dry kindling, whoosh. But the other was over five hundred years old. He took an hour."

Bonnie makes a noise of disgust. "You enjoyed it."

"It was my one moment of father and son bonding. Trust me it's the only rose tinted memory I have of him," his humour fades, jaw clenching as he looks at the page. "The coven was a business, not a family."

Bonnie cocks an eyebrow. "I think some people aren't cut out to be parents..." her voice catches a little and she looks down, making Kai stare at her. He has little information about her family, only that Sheila Bennett all but raised her.

"I met your granny once," he says suddenly and her head shots up.

"You did?"

"Yeah. It was after the vampires came. I didn't know then but I think she was there to help with the 1994 ascendant. Don't think she liked me very much."

Bonnie smiles proudly but then it falls. "You were a teenager?"

"The twins hadn't been born yet. As you've no doubt guessed my father planned to trap me long before 1994. I think he must have known about the Bennett prophecy, all coven leaders must've." Kai slaps the book closed and Bonnie stares at him and he thinks he sees pity there but then it's gone, replaced with her usual stoic judgement.

"It might be true that it was planned but they only put you in there after you committed a crime, not for being a siphoner."

"If that was the case I'd be sitting in death row right now. Well actually they probably would have given me the needle years ago…" Kai hums in thought and then smiles horribly. "That would have been a mercy so no, deathless prison it was."

"And now you have another, only this time you can leave whenever you want," Bonnie says softly, her hand lying palm up on the table, inches from his own. "Nothing to stop you..."

Kai inhales a breath and holds it, gazing at her hard before he places the tip of his finger against her palm. "I know this is a test. There's a part of you that wants to prove I haven't changed, that the feelings that burn inside you are righteous," he traces her life line slowly and she begins to breathe faster.

"They are."

"I broke your trust, worse than any knife wound," her life line has many crosses through it and he follows them before the line stops dead and then begins again. "You think I'm going to do it again."

Bonnie nods, hardly able to speak. "I dream of it so much now it plays out when I'm awake. Every morning I feel relief when I see you. I don't want to feel that dependant on anyone but the fact it's _you_? I hate it and I can never be sure...Kai, if this is just a long con meant to get back at me for leaving you here? I would…" she trails off, mouth open but finds no words for the possible betrayal. Kai nods, reaching the end of her life line.

"Before the merge that is exactly what I would have done. No weapons or curses, just crush you," he looks down, swallowing as he touches her heart line, which is forked. "I didn't care about the people I hurt or killed, I didn't have the capacity to...but I have that - that _space_ now and I can't escape or run from it because it's constant and it's _you_. That's why I'm still here," he presses his thumb against her heartline, his eyes pinned to hers. Bonnie exhales a shuddering breath, licking her lips and smiles weakly.

"You make it sound like I'm possessing you."

"More like a dead weight," he jokes and she smacks his shoulder, breaking the tension around them. "I did wonder if you had put a spell on me. You haven't, have you?"

"If I could make anyone stay here with a spell it would not be you, trust me," Bonnie says. His fingers slip away and she threads her hands together tightly as he stands. She looks up. "If you're messing with me I will send your ass away. And I don't mean out of here, I mean some ice cap floating in the Arctic."

"Lucky I can teleport then right? I might continue to annoy the shit out of you but I'm not lying. So...friends?" he cocks his head, smiling and Bonnie stands.

"You _might_? Pretty sure that's one quality that has not changed."

"Thank god. You offer hours of entertainment," he laughs as she rolls her eyes and moves past him, heading to the door. "Battle later?"

"No...I'll help with dinner," she says and leaves, closing the door softly behind her. Kai smiles, sitting back down before pulling the journal towards him. They might be no closer to getting out but she is slowly starting to trust him.

* * *

She lies on her back, watching the Northern Lights above. The roof is tilted at an angle, giving her a view of the sky, the path leading to the main road and the empty mansions on the other side. When Kai isn't blowing up trees or making beautiful ten tier cakes he's over there, exploring. Well, looting to be precise.

Bonnie lifts her hands, making warm air swirl and sealing it in a bubble around her body. The night is clear, the sky shining with stars and spiralling lights of many colours. She is sick of it. They dance and dance with exuberance and Bonnie clenches her fists.

"Yes, I know, still here bitch."

The lights give one more display before fading and the night darkens. She should go in, sleep but every night she is beset by dreams. In some she runs through the house, panting with the effort to keep going, reaching out for something just ahead. She had awoken thinking it was about being chased, running towards escape but now the dreams are clear. She runs after Kai, catching glimpses of him through doorways and window panes and wakes when her hand grabs the back of his shirt. She was not being hunted, she was the one chasing him.

"Cat and mouse…" she had offered Kai the chance to leave initially because she would rather be alone than have him near but now she is so scared of him accepting that she is half considering putting a spell on him, as Kai suspected. For whatever messed up reason he has stayed for her, wanting to prove something she can see but cannot quite accept but she knows despite this he will give in one day. Human beings can't endure captivity forever, not when the door is wide open and constantly behind you…

"I wouldn't blame you," she whispers to the night. She arcs her hips and digs her fingers into her back. She has left claw marks there, long scratches but it does nothing to the design. She could cut her back to ribbons and the next day it would be back like nothing had touched her.

 _You don't need to hurt yourself...you don't even need a key to leave. You can level this dimension with a_ thought...The voice is soft, a voice that she has tried hard to forget. Shane is long dead and the thing that used his words and face is beyond saving...but the darkness of that encounter rests at the back of her mind, waiting.

Bonnie lets the warm bubble around her pop. Freezing air stabs her and she exhales a misty breath, watching it rise before being pulled apart. She focuses on Kai, on the dreams that plague her every night. The cat and mouse dream is a horrible rush of fear and desperation but she welcomes that compared to what she is now avoiding sleep for, a dream that makes it hard to look him in the eye.

"You're just stressed...and horny," she admits grudgingly. Before entering this prison world she was mere days away from her period but now it has been frozen in this liminal state, which is a blessing but also sweetly frustrating. She closes her eyes, feels the phantom trace of his fingers against her bare back and the pulse of magic pouring out of them, making an entire house shudder. Bonnie sits up, shaking her head and makes her way around the roof to the casement window, careful of the ice. She looks over the side, imagining herself in the snow below like a strange snow angel and wonders not for the first time what would happen to the world around her if she fell.

"Guess what?!"

"Holy shit! Kai!" Bonnie grabs onto the windowsill as he suddenly appears. The smile on his face freezes. "You need to stop doing that!"

"Sorry...you know you're a witch right? You can fly or, if all else fails, bounce," he says sarcastically even as he offers her a hand.

"Really? Well next time you scare me off the damn roof I'll remember that when I'm plummeting down," she lands beside him, bounces once with a scathing look and he laughs.

"I want to show you something, come on," he pulls her after him, not letting go of her hand. He leads her through the house to the front porch, where a red carriage sits below. "Ta-da."

"A sleigh?"

"Cool right? Found it in one of the other mansions. I can teleport from place to place but this way we can head into town and steal more stuff," he pulls her down the steps, reminding Bonnie that he still holds her hand. She tugs her fingers free and looks at the driver's seat.

"No horses."

"Who needs horses, we have us," he opens the door for her but she shakes her head. Kai gives her a derisive look. "What? Got other plans? We've spent months casting every unbinding spell known to witchkind and I'm pretty sure I heard you make one up yesterday. Come on, let's see what's out there."

"Like this?" Bonnie looks down. She is dressed for bed, slippers on her feet. Kai laughs and she looks up.

"Scared someone will see you? One good thing about places like this: everyday can be pyjama day."

Bonnie suddenly has vivid flashes of running around the boarding house and grounds _naked_ because she could and on the heels of that memory she guesses Kai probably did the same. _Stop that train of thought right now!_ Bonnie scolds herself and keeping an impassive face she climbs on board.

"Awesome."

* * *

Mystic Falls at the turn of the century is a lot smaller than she imagined but some things are the same. The Clock Tower and Police Station, The Library and Town Hall. The town square is pitch dark and covered by a layer of crisp snow. Kai stands beside her, lifting his hand.

"Phasmatos incendia," all the gas lamps splutter to life one by one, until a chain of light rings the square. It is a pretty but lonely sight. Kai jumps down from the carriage and she follows but wishes that she had put on a pair of boots as her slippers become soaked.

"Now what?"

Kai rolls his eyes. "Damn you're hard to please. I told you making the carriage fly would have been fun."

"You can zip around like Santa all night but _I'll_ be tucked up in bed," Bonnie smiles tiredly as Kai moves to her, eyes glowing.

"That depends if you've been naughty or nice," he ducks down and whispers into her ear. Bonnie flushes, turning to him but he brushes past her, heading towards a building that one day will become The Mystic Grill. Balling her fists she hurries after him. Despite her less than enthusiastic response she feels lighter than she has in months, the change of scenery definitely a big help. The interior of the Grill is largely unchanged but in 1903 the place was a coffee shop. Beans fill glass jars and more sacks if it rest against the back wall. Bonnie sits as Kai moves behind the bar, grabbing an apron.

"What can I getcha?"

"Hmm...Baileys?"

"Nope, hasn't been invented yet. But you have guessed one reason why we're here: more booze."

Bonnie shakes her head, smiling and then stifles a yawn. "I'm going to find a bed," she looks up, knowing that there is only an attic above. Kai leans over the bar, gaze serious.

"I didn't bring you here just to get drunk, well not really. I want you to send this," Kai reaches into his coat and pulls out an envelop. Bonnie frowns.

"Send it, to the future? Kai I've already done that, lots of times and nothing ever comes back," Bonnie had written letters and notes, sending them away in a flash of light. "They either get lost on the way or the Ascendant on the other side must be destroyed."

Kai shakes his head. "You were sending things from the mansion, which is just a ruin in 2013. The Boarding House hasn't been built here yet but this place," he motions at the room. "This place exists now and then."

A bubbling hope rises inside her and she takes the letter. "What does it say?"

"I explained what has happened, that we're still here. It's addressed to Damon," Kai taps his finger against the front of the envelope.

"You think he'll find it here?"

"Your friendly neighbourhood vampire who drinks more bourbon than blood? Yeah, I think he'll find it," Kai smirks and Bonnie nods in agreement. She handles the letter gently, the hope inside her tentative and fragile.

"Please find this, please…" she whispers as Kai stands back, watching as she begins to chant the spell. The letter lies flat against her palms and as a beam of light suddenly bathes her Bonnie jerks, gasping. She cannot see her back but she knows that those chains and gears are moving. The letter disappears upwards in a flash and the light fades. Blinking spots out of her eyes she regards Kai tiredly.

"You said it was Damon's idea to trap me here? Let's hope he values you more than revenge," he moves towards the door and after a pause Bonnie follows, that fragile hope weaker with each step.

* * *

They find rooms above an apothecary, which one day would become the Gilbert Practice. Days pass and each morning Bonnie runs across the square to the Grill, initially bursting in and hoping to find a letter or even better Damon and Elena waiting for her. After a week she peers in through the window and turns on her heel when she finds no one there. Kai had gathered clothes and other items from the mansion, neither wanting to leave the town centre in case something does happen.

"I wonder what they are doing?" she says one night, breaking a silence that has stretched out for hours. Kai lies on a couch, throwing a baseball up and catching it. Bonnie sits on a window seat, watching the snow fall.

"Maybe they're dead?"

"Kai…"

"My sister has probably married Ric now. Think she would have sent me an invitation?" he asks, not waiting for an answer. "Did I tell you she's having twins?"

Bonnie nods, smiling. "Will they be next in line? If they have magic?"

Kai stops throwing the ball, staring at her. "There isn't gonna be another leader. No more merging..."

"But when you die the coven members will die with you."

"Not if I outlive them all. I doubt my family is breaking a sweat trying to rescue me, they've probably come to the same conclusion I have. So nope, no future set of twins for me..." he snorts. "Thank god, can you imagine how awkward that would be? _Daddy where's all my aunties and uncles?_ " he speaks in a high pitch and then lowers his voice. " _Well son they couldn't be here cause I killed them. Happy birthday!_ "

He flings the ball at the ceiling hard, face dark. Bonnie stares open mouthed at him, shocked speechless. She does not know if him wanting to stay is a selfish desire to keep his leadership or the complete opposite. Kai looks at her, mistaking her expression for worry.

"It's different for you. Your friends care about you, they wouldn't just leave you here Bonnie."

She blinks rapidly. His words should make her feel stronger and she has spent many daydreams watching the valiant attempts her friends must be making to find a way to get to her. She had done the same in 1994 but soon those dreams had turned into something different, a weary acceptance that her friends had given up.

She looks back at the window. "I'm sure they tried, like last time."

"You think they've abandoned you?"

Bonnie shrugs, not able to look at him. "I'm stuck in a prison world with Malachai Parker. They probably think I'm dead," she looks back at him significantly and he scoffs.

"Let's flip that around shall we? Damon probably thinks we're re-enacting the ending to _The Shining_. You're Jack and I'm Wendy. God, I miss movies..."

Bonnie rolls her eyes as he sits up and throws the ball to her. She catches it and throws it from hand to hand. "You know you're taking this better than I thought. After eighteen years alone I thought you'd crack here." Bonnie throws the ball at him.

"Well this is a little different. One: I've got magic now, which as you're learning is a lot of fun to mess around with," he spins the ball with his fingers and it floats in the air slowly before he catches it. "Two: you're here and you're not just anyone. You're like me."

He throws the ball back to her. Bonnie cocks an eyebrow. "We are nothing alike."

"Come on, you know what I mean. You can't deny how different it is when you're with another witch. There's a different vibe," he smiles at her and she wants to deny it but he is right. Despite her entrapment the one thing of benefit has been the time to explore and experiment with her witchcraft. Having someone equally gifted to play against has been an opportunity at bettering herself. Her ability has always been something carefully guarded, something that she does not let slip because the power within her is more wondrous and terrible than her friends can grasp. Witches have the balance of the world in their hands and it can topple to their whim.

_I have that power, I can do things that would make even Kai go pale...no, he would fall in love with that darkness._

Bonnie's heart drums in her chest and she levitates the ball before projecting it at him faster than he can see. It slams into his chest and he doubles over, laughing. Not for the first time she considers that he gets off on being hurt. She's about to speak when she suddenly stiffens and spins around. From the window the view of the Grill is clear and right now light is spilling from the building.

"Kai!"

"I felt it, come on," he grabs her hand but does not run, as she expects. He pulls her close and then the strangest sensation settles over her. Her body vibrates, as if he has plucked a string running through her and with another she stumbles as the world spins and then stills. They are no longer above The Apothecary but inside The Grill.

"Sorry, short cut," Kai steadies her.

"You're going to teach me how to do that," she gasps and then freezes when she spots something lying on the bar. "That wasn't there before," Bonnie stares at the letter, which has a rose across it. A feeling of dread floods her. She can not move, frozen by uncertainty. Kai frowns at her and then picks it up. He offers it to her but she shakes her head. Holding her breath she watches as he rips it open and pulls out a sheet of paper. He immediately starts to frown and her stomach plummets.

"It's not from Damon, it's from the Heretics. Sorry," he adds. His jaw clenches as he continues reading, becoming more angry until his eyebrows raise and he laughs. "This asshole."

"What? What does it say?" she finally moves, her chest rising and falling with each breath. The disappointment is crushing, for all her acceptance about not being answered she had hope. Kai hesitates before handing it over reluctantly. Bonnie lays the paper out on the bar and reads.

_Dearest Malachai and Ascendant,_

_I'm afraid your letter of distress has fallen into our hands. If you were hoping to contact a resident of Mystic Falls then I am afraid your attempt has been in vain. The town is now ours and your friends are either dead or vacated, along with others. The curse placed on the Bennett witch is not reversible, there is no loophole to wriggle through, as you have no doubt guessed by now. The spell placed on Miss Bennett was carefully constructed over many years, using the power of our coven and spirits of our fallen comrades over the decades. Nothing can be changed, the witch is now merely a means of transport._

_As the leader of the Gemini Coven it was our aim to kill you, thus eliminating the witches linked to your line. However we have had a change of heart. You are like us Malachai, a siphoner who has done what no one has dared before. You are the leader and you shall continue to be. This is our mercy. If you should return there is a place for you amongst us, your position unchanged. Witches are divided in their covens and squabble, vampires are scattered and leaderless. We have the wisdom and might of both but with a common purpose. This is available to you._

_That you have not returned points to either captivity by the Ascendant or infatuation for said contraption on your part. Judging by the wording of your letter it appears the latter is more likely. Bonnie Bennett is a lost cause, you have a life of purpose ahead, of promise._

_Yours sincerely, the Heretics._

Below the farewell is a list of signatures. Bonnie stares at the letter until her eyes swim and then the page starts to smoke and curl in her hand. It burns with a violent speed until her palm is silty with ash.

* * *

Kai plucks rose petals, letting them fall against the table top. "They're liars. If they were so eager for me to join their little club they would come get me."

"They fear coming back," she says weakly, gaze unfocused. Since reading the letter she has felt disjointed, hardly hearing Kai as he talks at length, a nervous prattle. They sit at a round table, small cups filled with untouched coffee. The night sky outside swirls with lights.

"At least we know the 2013 Ascendant is still working. The must have got some Bennett blood..."

She nods and sits back. She has not cried, there is nothing inside her, just a dark greyness. Kai watches her carefully, finally falling silent and with an unsure movement he settles his hand on top of hers.

"Talk to me."

"You do it enough for both," she answers, giving him a weak smile but he does not return it. She thinks on the letter, of Kai's infatuation with her and feels a dull throb. Bonnie shrugs. "It is what it is." She stares at his hand, letting herself imagine their fingers lacing together, pressing into a mattress before she looks back up. The dreams feel like some other world, a world where they meet and happiness and magic coexist. Is that possible? Bonnie frowns as the dense, solidifying apathy inside parts as a bitter fury cuts through it. _Why? Why? Why? She can do anything! Anything!_

As this volcanic denial burns through her Kai sighs unaware, rubbing his eyes as his other hand pats hers awkwardly. "You know what we need to do?"

"What?"

"Get completely and utterly wasted."

Bonnie smiles, the last wisps of that dead greyness dissolving as a white hot certainty solidifies in it's place. She does not snap, she anneals. She can get out and she will, she just has to sacrifice a part of herself to do it. Bonnie inhales, tilts her head and offers her hand to a surprised Kai.

"That is the first sensible thing you've said."

* * *

Kai watches her walking through the snow, bottle of wine swinging from her hand. Since finding the letter she had become depressed but then a sudden cheerful determination had taken effect, seemingly when he was not looking. It makes him feel on edge because there is a desperation to her giddiness, like someone working themselves up to a jump.

"Bonnie?" he grabs her hand, making her swing around to him. She is a supple drunk, loose in his presence. She places her hands against his shoulders, the wine bottle bobbing magically in the air. "What's going on?"

"Nothing...everything," she smiles, leaning close to him and something in him leaps happily at her gaze.

"You're being weird."

"You would know," she smirks and then cocks her head, serious. "Don't worry Kai, I'm not giving up."

"That letter didn't exactly fill you with confidence but now you're bouncing like a kid on a sugar rush," his hands move to her waist as she rocks on her feet, smiling coyly. He battles between being intensely turned on by the sight and wanting to squeeze the answer out of her.

"I've decided something. I'm not going to stay here and it feels great to accept that, to make that choice."

Kai narrows his eyes at her beaming face, deeply confused. "Well I'm happy that it's taken you all this time to come to that conclusion. Why now?"

Bonnie lifts a shoulder, ducking her chin. Frustrated he pulls her to him until her chest bumps against his. Inches away her gleaming eyes darken. "I've always had the power to get out of here but I was too afraid to accept it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what I have to do but…" she trails off, that darkness in her eyes becoming wet. Kai brushes his thumb against the teardrop that rolls down her cheek.

"You're afraid? Of what?"

"Myself."

"Bonnie I have no clue what you're talking about. How drunk are you?"

"Not enough!" she laughs and wraps her arms around his neck suddenly. Kai stiffens, hands moving off her body. Her embrace is desperately tight and he cannot move even if he wanted to. Her magic binds him. Bewildered he lets his fingers drag down her back and she gasps against his neck. He feels moments from exploding. He traces the pattern he leaves on her in the dream, stars and spirals and Bonnie shakes. She leans back, eyes wide and he exhales once before capturing her lips, hands gripping her face. Her mouth is hot and tastes of wine, her lips as soft as he imagined. A flood of sensations surge through him, the dream mixing with their present until he can not tell the difference. He groans as he parts her mouth with his tongue but a flash of pain shoots through his head and he stumbles back.

"No," Bonnie pants, eyes wild and he straightens, breathing just as heavily.

"Bonnie…"

"Stay out of my dreams!" she yells and the wine bottle explodes, splattering over the snow as the gas lamps flare.

"What? Please tell me you felt that?" he reaches for her but she holds up her hands and he stops moving.

"The only thing I felt was you in my head. Those dreams are private," she cuts her hand through the air and the lights go out.

Kai blinks, to shocked to speak but as the possibility hits him he laughs. "Holy shit. Bonnie...We're sharing the same dream. A summer morning, sex so good it's making a house shake in the shock waves?" he grins at her scandalized face before she scowls.

"Well it's a relief to know that did not come from _my_ subconscious…" she walks back, the gas lamps flicking on the closer she gets to him before stopping. She sucks on her bottom lip and he forgets to breathe. "Don't do that again."

He nods, not meaning it. He wants to devour her. He meets her eyes. "So, are you gonna tell me how you're getting out of here?"

She opens her mouth, hesitating before she finally speaks. "Have you ever heard of Expression?"


	7. Chapter 7

_2017_

She watches the twins in the garden below, swinging back and forth in the sunshine. No one pushes them. Her smile grows faint as Bonnie feels Kai at her back, his proximity like electricity arcing through her blood. She had thought him dead but the not knowing had kept her awake at night. So many years she has been consumed with a terrible desire to see him again but now she can barely look at him.

"Can I see them?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I need to speak to them first...I can't tell them who you are," she adds quietly and he gently turns her to him. They stand in the corridor, outside her bedroom. Abby watches the children from the kitchen, making packed lunches. They had agreed to take the girls out for the day, before their uninvited guest arrived.

"It's not like I'm asking to move in or marry you," he says and Bonnie shakes her head, smirking. "...They don't have to know who I am right away...but if they are my - _mine,_ " he stresses, unable to say the word. _My children_.

"What? You have a right?" Bonnie asks and Kai shrugs, watching the garden. The girls are trying very hard to not look up at the house but Bonnie knows they are itching to see Kai. She sighs. "You don't understand, the last few months they've been obsessed with dads and husbands. They see their friends and their parents and want to know where their father is. I - I think that's why you're here."

Kai frowns. "They sent me the dreams?"

"Well it wasn't me."

"They're only kids though…" he stares at them in amazement and Bonnie feels the treacherous ground he is stepping on. She pulls him back.

"They are Bennett witches," she replies superciliously and Kai flashes a grin at her. Her stomach flips pleasantly at the sight, unbalanced at the familiarity. She did not know how much she missed him and with that realisation comes a creep of guilt. Kai moves closer, eyes intense.

"Tell me what happened to you?"

Bonnie's first instinct is to say nothing or to lie, she has been doing so steadily for the last few years and it is as instinctive as breathing. But that was because no one else could understand, no one she could trust.

"...I woke up in Portland, outside your old house. Jo found me, she took care of me."

Immense relief sweeps over his face. "She's alive?"

"Yes," Bonnie answers hastily, touching his arm as she recalls the past. In the prison world Kai was sure that most of his coven was dead, feeling their passing but he had no idea who they were. His sister no longer had magic but he had no way of knowing the truth. His fear and uncertainty had been a tipping point for her, the first instance of reaching out to him.

"That's good. I wanted to look for her but well, I felt like something had tied a rope around me and was pulling me here...sound familiar?"

Bonnie cocks an eyebrow and chooses to ignore that remark and the desperation she had succumbed to in 1903. "Once I realised I was pregnant I left. Your coven are not a big fan of siphoners."

He narrows his eyes. "You've been running from them, haven't you?"

"We've been running from everyone. I had to take on a new identity, move in with my mother…" Bonnie shakes her head at the memories, the fear and constant worry. "The last year has been good, no trouble."

"But now I'm here it's different? I said I won't harm anyone here."

"I know...but you'll do it anyway," she gazes at him with hooded eyes and he visibly tenses. "You are a different person, I know that but the past will always follow you like a shadow. I won't have the girls aware of that darkness, they have enough to deal with."

Her voice cracks and she looks down, not wanting to cry in front of him. His hands settle on her shoulders and then glide up and down her arms. She looks up at his face and sees anger, at odds with his gentle touch.

"Are they in danger?"

Bonnie bites the inside of her cheeks before she nods. "I'm so tired, all I do is worry that when I come home they won't be here, that they will have found us."

"I won't let that happen," he says and Bonnie can see the hard violence in his promise. He would kill anyone that threatened them, he would do more and she feels relief to see her protective fury reflected back. She wishes that resolve was enough.

"You can't make that promise. I'd give my life for them but that doesn't keep them safe. They are my whole world and I won't let you or anyone put them in danger. You being here will do that."

His hands tighten, pulling at her. "It won't. We're stronger together, you know that."

Bonnie smiles humourlessly. "Do you remember the night the letter from the heretics arrived? We talked about children. Do you remember what you said?"

His jaw clenches and he lets go of her. "No."

"Yes you do. You said you never wanted children because how could you explain all their missing relatives? You are a murderer and if they find that out it will devastate them. I'm not doing this to hurt you Kai but their wellbeing is more important than your feelings or mine. They can't know you're their father because the truth of your past is too awful. Do you understand?" she asks, staring at him until he lowers his burning gaze, unable to look at her. He remains silent, breathing heavily until he nods.

"I know...God this is all so fast, I can barely think," he lift his head, hands in his hair. "Since I woke I've been floating around like I'm dreaming. I thought I'd wake up once I saw you but it feels like I'm even deeper. Inception style."

Bonnie snorts. "Floating would be nice right about now," she recalls the dreams they used to share, of a slow and intimate lovemaking, and then looks at the spinning rainbow pinwheel sticking out of the window box below. All the air escapes her lungs and she jerks back, bumping into him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah...I better go talk to them before they see you," she smiles hastily, her chest feeling tight. Kai frowns but moves aside to let her pass. Once out of his eyesight she exhales, her face burning as the truth bounces around her head.

The dreams were not dreams at all. They were sharing _visions_.

* * *

They sit in the grass, heads bent together. Between them they braid ribbons, careful not to touch each other.

"Mommy is angry. He wasn't invited in, granny says we shouldn't invite strangers in Lia," Amelia whispers, looking up at the house. They know where their mother is, they always know even when they cannot see her. Like flowers following the sun. The man shines the same way.

Her twin gives her a sharp look. "Ames, he was invited, by _us_ and he's not a stranger," she adds. Out of the two Lia is the one to leap ahead, take risks, Ames is the hand pulling her back.

"I know _that_ ," she rolls her eyes and gets the ribbons knotted. "I just think we should have told Mommy."

"Told me what?"

They gasp and lean apart. "Nothing!" They jump to their feet and peer around Bonnie but when they see she is alone their smiles fall. "Where is Kai?"

"He's in the house. Listen I need to speak to you," she gets on her hunches and draws them to her. "I know you lead him here and I'm not angry," she says hastily as their faces crumple. "But you know that not telling me was dangerous. Dreams are like telephone calls, people can listen in."

"We were whispering," Lia says under her breath and their mother grins.

"Well I guess he only heard you," she looks back and they see Kai hovering by the door. Nervousness radiates off him, they can practically taste it.

"It was an accident really," Ames says, unable to keep her eyes off him for more than a few seconds. "We felt this noise, this - this colour and shine, like you Mommy, like Grams. We just wanted to see."

"I understand," she says and kisses each before rising to her feet. She beckons to Kai, who seems stuck in the kitchen. Bonnie goes to him and they follow but at a distance, wanting him to come to them.

"He's shy," Lia says and they giggle. The twins overhear what they are saying, though he ducks down and speaks low.

"I don't know what to say or do," he looks at Bonnie with wide desperate eyes, gripping her arm. "How - how do I do this?"

"Just say hi. Come on it's you, you always have something to say."

"What if I say something stupid?"

"Then we'll laugh at you. Come on," Bonnie grins and then suddenly cups his face. He blinks, exhaling and the twins stop breathing but their mother only lowers her hands, looking surprised as Kai. Bonnie reaches down for his wrist, pulling him after her. Kai stares down at them, open mouthed and speechless and feeling sorry for him they break the ice.

"Do you want to come to our party?"

"Your party?" his voice is breathless.

"Our birthday! We're gonna be four."

"...Sure, if - if your mom says it's okay," he looks at Bonnie, his hand tight around hers. Their mother narrows her eyes and their hearts sink.

"Please Mommy?! You said we could invite people," Lia challenges and Bonnie lifts a brow.

"I thought it was an accident?"

The twins shuffle guilty, mumbling and Kai suddenly laughs. "You can send invitations through your dreams?"

They nod enthusiastically, coming closer. "We can do lots of cool things! Let me show -"

Bonnie interrupts Amelia as she reaches for her twin's hand. "No. You know the rule Amelia." Bonnie says seriously and the twins take a step apart from each other, heads lowered. Kai frowns but does not say anything. "Kai can come to the party but after that he has to leave," Bonnie says and their heads spring up, faces beaming.

"Yes!" They spin and jump, wriggling in happiness. They take a few minutes to calm down and once they come a stop, breathless, they stare at Kai like someone looking at the ocean for the first time, scared but awed. The question that has been bursting inside them cannot be contained. "Who are you?"

Kai's mouth parts and his eyes flick to Bonnie, who says nothing. He swallows before answering, his smile hesitant. "I'm...I'm an old friend of your mom's."

Their shoulders slump and Bonnie kneels down to them. "Not just any old friend. He's like me, like us. He has magic."

"No he doesn't, I have it," Amelia says, frowning and Bonnie smiles, pulling Kai down to kneel in the grass with her. Ames looks at Kai and then offers her hand. "Do you want it back?"

He blinks. "You can return it?"

"Sure!"

"But first you have to kiss mommy."

"Celia Bennett!"

They giggle and scream as Bonnie scowls at them. Kai laughs and before Bonnie can react he pulls her against him and kisses her cheek, making a smacking sound. The girls fall onto their behinds as Bonnie weakly pushes Kai away, trying and failing not to smile. At this moment Abby calls to their mother and she stands, escaping with a flushed face and leaves them alone with Kai.

On his knees he beams at them. "You're smart. So, do I get my magic back?"

Amelia nods and shyly takes his hand. There is no light, no rushing wind or even a spell. One second he is powerless and then next he is brimming with magic. He inhales sharply.

"Wow. That - that was more than I had before."

She shrugs, sitting crossed legged next to her twin. They lean forward and he copies them as they begin to speak quietly, finishing and starting each other's sentences. "We know who you are. You're like gold, like fire."

Lia nods, even as he frowns in confusion. "You shine, you hum like the bees," she pats the air around his shoulders, at something invisible and comprehension starts to enter his eyes.

"You see colours around people?"

"Auroras," Lia says but Ames corrects her.

"Auras. Some people have them, some people don't. Like the bad people that came," she pulls a distressed face and he leans closer.

"What people?"

"They made us run. It burnt down."

"What?"

"Our house. We had to leave Miss Cuddles," Lia says sadly and their eyes fill with tears.

"Your teddy?"

"No, our kitty."

"Oh…" his eyes gleam with sorrow and he looks like he wants to hold them, lifting hesitant hands. Instead he grips the grass at their knees, looking behind him but Bonnie is now inside the kitchen with Abby. "I'm really sorry, that must have been scary...so you had to come live with your grandmother?"

They nod. "We were sleeping, we had to get a bus at night but we could only bring two toys...but Mommy says Miss Cuddles might come find us in Carolina."

Kai smiles. "Cats are tough, I bet she's having an adventure," he looks back again and then speaks very quietly. "The fire. Did those bad people do it?"

They lean back, looking at each other and then they nod, looking miserable. "Don't tell Mommy," they beg and he nods. "It was an accident, we didn't mean to do it. The people were trying to hurt Mommy."

He stares at them, nodding. "You did it. It's okay," he adds quickly as they look close to tears. "I set my neighbour's house on fire when I was seven," he tells them and then looks like he wishes he hadn't but they sigh with relief. They had been keeping this secret for a long time and it is a burden.

"We didn't mean to, we don't mean to do anything. They called us freaks, we heard them," Lia says, tears now running down her face. "Mommy says that those people are wrong, that we're special."

"They said we're dangerous," Ames adds as Bonnie walks into the garden. The twins crowd around him, speaking faster. "We can stop them but Mommy says not to. We have to be good girls."

Kai lifts his hands and wipes the tears from their faces very gently, as if scared of hurting them. "Is that why you don't touch each other?"

"We're not allowed."

"Why?"

They open their mouths, about to answer but Bonnie places a hand on Kai's shoulder and the twins fall silent.

"Grams is ready girls, don't keep her waiting."

Kai rises to his feet, the girls following him. They adopt mulish expressions as they spot the coats in Bonnie's hands.

"We don't want to go to the park."

"We want to stay with Kai."

"Mommy and Kai need to catch up. You're going, otherwise who will feed the ducks? Kai will be here when you get back."

"Promise?" Lia asks him and he nods, smiling.

"I'll even make you both dinner."

They gasp happily and take the coats offered and run to their grandmother. It takes Abby some time to get them out of the house and only bribes of icecream gets the door closed behind them. Squeals of delight followed by lengthy flavour combinations are heard.

Bonnie laughs, listening to their voices fading away before turning to Kai. He looks euphoric, his warm eyes finding hers in the sunshine and after a pause he pulls her into his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

"I suppose I should be thankful, they could have decided to go find you instead of drawing you here," Bonnie smiles tiredly, watching him flick through photographs of the girls on her phone. They are sat on the sofa, the house still empty. Bonnie leans her head back, her eyes heavy. It had been a long night and she is usually asleep by now.

"Run away? Me and Jo did that once," he looks up from a picture of the girls learning to swim. "Well she wanted to run away, I just went with her to make sure she came back. That was the first time we tried teleporting anything longer than the distance of a room," he grins at the memory. "We got so lost and she ended up falling into the ocean," he laughs.

"How old were you?"

"Eight or nine. She didn't want to do the merge because she thought she'd be the victor. She was trying to save my life," his face falls and then troubled, conflicting feelings battle there. "They all thought I would lose, that's why they tried for another set of twins but I wanted to prove them wrong. We were home schooled, as a coven, but my education was...lacking. Why waste your time on a siphoner who would never be leader?" his bitterness is intense as he stares into the middle distance before he flicks a glance at her, half smiling. "Good thing I had two decades to study, even with no magic…"

Bonnie regards him tiredly. Once she would have fired a scathing judgement at him and enjoyed the struggle as he tried to process the new emotions crashing around inside him. Now she has no strength to. He knows the suffering he has caused and has to live with it. Kai lowers his gaze, face brightening again as he watches a video that the girls have recorded. Toys are placed around a small table, a tea party in progress, only in this party the teddy bears help themselves. He laughs and shows it to Bonnie, who gasps.

"They are in so much trouble. You have no idea how hard it is to keep people from guessing they have witches near by when the garden ornaments decide to go for a walk," she laughs, shaking her head as she tries to delete the evidence. Kai snatches the cell from her.

"You have a cloaking spell around the house, which is also in the middle of nowhere, do the same to the phone," he gives her a pointed look, an unuttered _duh_ and Bonnie rolls her eyes but her stomach tightens pleasantly. Apart from her mother she has not interacted with another witch for years and certainly not about something so normal. Suddenly the truth of the matter hits her. _The father of her children is sitting beside her._

"This is so surreal," she whispers and he smiles at her, leaning closer. He had hugged her earlier and she had permitted it but felt flush with a strange embarrassment. She has had sex with the man, numerous times, but now it feels intensely awkward. What are they now? She touches her throat, looking aside and he stops inches away.

"It feels like no time since I saw you last but for you it's been years...did you miss me?"

"...No," she answers and hears him give a low laugh and looks up. He glances at her lips, hypnotised and exhaling a soft long breath he leans closer, hands planted either side of her hips. Bonnie's heart pounds, her blood buzzing through her like she is a being of lightening. If he touches her he will not survive. It has been years and years, long days and nights without him and no matter how hard she tried to suppress it the loss of him hurt.

 _He is leaving..._ a voice whispers as he moves his mouth to the corner of her lips, almost but not quite touching and her heart seizes. That thrumming commotion comes to a head and she brings her leg up, knee pressed against his chest, stopping him.

"Bonnie…" he breathes out her name like a prayer, a sinner receiving no answer.

"You will be gone in a few days Kai...and I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Let you go all over again," she gazes at her imploringly and he seems trapped in her sorrow. Finally he tilts his head, mouth quirking.

"You're the only one who thinks they have to. What makes you think I'm _ever_ leaving you? Them?"

" _Me_ ," she stresses and pushes him sharply. He falls back, mouth pursing. "Like I said before this isn't about what you want. It's about them."

"And if they want me here?"

It is her turn to thin her lips, shaking her head in silent anger. Kai sighs, staring down at the pictures of the twins as newborns and she catches a blazing look misery on his face, of regret and something inside her cracks. He was not there.

"I know this is weird for you. I know it - it must hurt. I'm just thinking about what is in their best interest. Do you understand?"

Not looking at her he gives a small nod, staring at the screen until he loses focus. Bonnie rubs at her tired eyes as another silence stretches until he begins to smile again, looking at the twins. She frowns, suddenly curious.

"Have you really been in a coma for all this time? I thought my life was strange…"

Kai smirks. "I woke up in some empty ward, literally no one there. I thought I was in another prison world but then I saw taxis and people. _That_ would have been awesome," he drawls as she regards him curiously, stifling a yawn.

"So you don't know who has been looking after you for the last four years?"

"I was in some rehabilitation clinic but that's as far as I know. I told you I dreamt of this place? It became so intense that I was having waking visions. I saw this red house, the street, even your mother doing magic. Little snipers at first but then..." he shakes his head, puffing out a breath. "I stole a car and drove all the way here, didn't sleep or eat. I had no choice," he looks down at the cell, where there are years worth of memories he has missed. "What did you tell them about me? That I was dead?" he looks up and then smiles softly.

Bonnie is asleep. He leans over, slipping his arms under her body and pulls her down so she can lie more comfortably, head against a cushion. Standing he gazes down at her until his eyes glaze over. He remains there watching her for a long time, lost until he remembers the cell in his hand. He moves towards the kitchen, thinking about what to cook as his thumb swipes the screen. The twins grin widely in the arms of a man Kai has never seen before. He stops dead.

"...Who the fuck are you?"


	9. Chapter 9

_1903_

Bonnie cradles her head, elbows resting against the kitchen table. She winces as a shaft of light breaks through the room as Kai flings open a door. At the sight of her he pauses and Bonnie wishes she had stayed in bed. The night before washes over her again and she closes her eyes but it all plays out, her hangover doing nothing to dull the memories. She had asked him about Expression, the most powerful and secretive form of magic known to witchcraft and was met with confusion. She had spent the rest of the way back to the mansion trying to avoid his questions, drinking more until the night faded into a numb blur.

_At least he doesn't know about it, shouldn't know. I have to do this alone, it is the only way…_

"You know the cure to a hangover?"

"Decapitation?" she looks up, hands cupping her eyes and gives him a weak smile. "I'd prefer that to raw eggs if that's what you're going to suggest…"

Kai smirks, leaning against the chair across from her. "Nope, something that won't give you food poisoning. One of the first potions I ever made." He turns and begins to rummage around the cupboards and Bonnie watches him in silence, feeling peculiarly detached. Last night any hope she had grasped onto plummeted and disappeared and it was only after the loss of that she had reached for the only other option.

Expression...Such an inept, vague word for something so vast and unknowable. The other forms of magic she had studied years to perfect, with something new always a page turn ahead but this is venturing into the unknown, no guides, advice or failsafes, no history that she can tap into...only the potential and strength inside her and that patient, waiting power.

"Here. I'm _not_ just an awesome cook," he settles a glass of something that looks like hot green tea. Bonnie narrows her eyes, taking the potion and gives it a hesitant sip. Mint and something smooth rolls down her throat and then a soothing blanket covers her aching mind. She moans and he grins.

"Your cooking is pretty much the reason why you're still here," she jokes, half serious. He is ridiculously creative with the food stock they have. He sits across from her, watching her drink until he clears his throat.

"So...last night was interesting."

"It's kind of a blur," she lies and he looks at her sharply before smiling.

"So you don't remember parking the carriage in the pond?"

"What?" she gets to her feet as Kai motions at the window. At this time the morning is still dark but there is enough light to see the red hulk of the carriage sitting like a conspicuous pumpkin in the middle of the garden. Bonnie groans as Kai comes up behind her.

"You thought it would be a good idea to test out your teleportation _and_ levitation skills," he laughs and though she has no memory of this she knows he must have been delighted at the risk. He gets off on courting danger.

_Must be why he likes me so much._

The thought bobs innocently into her mind, pops like a bubble and she blinks, looking away from his handsome face. It has been months and his conviction to find a way to get her out, remaining by her side, has not wavered. What gives her pause is that part of his reasoning is that the life he has killed to acquire is not something he knows what to do with and would rather run away then face it.

"When you get out will you lead your coven or shirk your responsibility?"

His eyes widen in surprise at her sudden question. He hesitates before answering, a humourless smile on his face. "I wanted to lead but seeing as said coven would probably pay me to abandon my position I don't see it as a lack of commitment Bonnie. Like I said they know where I am and my family are nowhere to be seen," his jaw clenches and he moves to sit at the table.

"You're hurt?"

He shrugs, leaning over the table to swipe her half finished potion. He gulps it down, inhaling as the magic starts to work. He had drank the night before too, though not to the extent she had. Bonnie moves to him and slides her fingers around the glass, touching his and he looks up at her.

"My family haven't come for me either."

"Are they usually flaky?" he asks bluntly.

Bonnie pulls the glass from him, cocking her head. "Well my mom left me when I was three and was turned into a vampire when I sought her out fifteen years later. We're actually on pretty good terms," she admits and he smirks.

"Wish my parents had the decency to abandon me," he says and then immediately winces when she leans up sharply, lips thinning. "Sorry...least your parents are still sort of there."

"...My dad died last year, he - he was murdered," she admits haltingly and the pain wells up inside her. She and her father had a tumultuous relationship but he had always been there and now he is gone. _All my fault_. Bonnie bites the inside of her cheek, trying to force the memory of his terrible death from her mind. She looks down at the drink and a flash of suspicion enters her head. She is being very forthcoming and feels comfortable doing so, even if it feels like her heart is bleeding.

 _Stop being paranoid. He has been insanely thoughtful, he wouldn't risk it now...I haven't spoken to anyone about this, I wasn't ready. I suppose I should while I still can..._ But the words stay in her throat, unutterable.

Kai rises from his chair slowly, hands hovering as he clearly struggles with how to comfort her. Through her sadness she manages to feel a thin ripple of affection and so gently thrusts the empty glass at him so he has something in his hands.

"I'm gonna go back to bed. Thanks for the cure," she adds, smiling softly and he moves back to let her pass, tumbler curled against his chest. He looks out of the kitchen window.

"...I'll re-park the car."

His voice drifts after her as she walks through the corridor. "If that's a veiled joke about women drivers you can shove it."

"Of course not...it's a joke about wasted wicked witches," he answers and Bonnie shakes her head, mind now clear and feeling better than she had minutes ago. He is good for some things...

* * *

A week passes, two and another month waves them goodbye. At this point he avoids telling her what date it really is, it just makes her miserable but as he contemplates that they should be basking in summer sunshine instead of skidding on ice as they make their way through a blizzard his concern gives way under frustration.

"You know if we get out only to appear in the middle of winter I will lose my mind. Just fucking throw it away and never look for it again. It's probably hot like the sun out there."

"It's summer?" Bonnie asks, voice muffled. She is swaddled in a large hat and scarf, so only her eyes and the tip of her nose is visible. In her arms she carries logs for the fire and he shifts his own, about to answer when suddenly all the air leaves his lungs and he staggers.

"Woah…"

"Kai?" Bonnie takes a step towards him as he frowns in confusion before all the strength in his legs gives way. The logs spill into the snow and Bonnie yelps as he faints.

When he opens his eyes again he sees the familiar canopy of his bed. For a moment he considers that he has awoken from a dream but the effort to even turn his head on the pillow tells him otherwise.

"You're awake," Bonnie says, sitting in a chair by the window. Night has fallen and the room flickers from pink to green.

"I feel like I've been scooped hollow. Like the best icecream," he mutters, trying to sit up. Bonnie moves to him and hardly able to hide his surprise she helps him up. Resting against the headboard he regards her blearily. "Did you carry me up here?"

"Bridal style," she jokes and he grins tiredly. The smile fades as he takes a moment to look past the weakness making his limbs feel like stone and peer deeper. He jerks upright, fists clenching the cover.

"What is it?"

"My - my magic, it's really weak."

"Maybe you're sick?" she sits on the edge of the bed. Kai shakes his head.

"I was fine before. You know my power comes from the coven members Bonnie. The only way my magic fades is if they _die_. That's why having children, continuing the line is so important. It's a symbiotic relationship," as he explains he suddenly doubles over, groaning in pain.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asks,worried as he hisses, fisting the sheets. He looks up at her, sweating and barely able to breathe.

"Someone is killing them, my family," he grits out and as pain saps away his magic a part of him realises that with every sibling he murdered his father felt each and every death. Kai closes his eyes, slumping back as Bonnie moves with him.

"Are you sure?"

"I can feel them," he looks upwards, sweat running down his face as the image of his twin floats before his eyes, the twin who threatened to kill him if she ever set eyes on him again. Anger and a searing hurt had been his only response to that but it will dwarf what he will feel if she dies. She is not part of the coven any longer, with no magic, but he feels assured that her passing will leave him gutted.

 _Would she feel me go?_ he wonders, unaware of how close Bonnie is or the concern on her face. He stares into the distance, glaring intensely as he waits for that hammer blow. None fall but he cannot relax, the anticipation too consuming until his vision starts to go white.

Soft hands touch his face, fingertips brushing over his chin and he looks up and is caught up in steady green eyes. "Breathe," she urges and says it again until he nods and releases a breath he did not know he had been holding. His vision clears and the pressure in his head lessens.

"What - what's wrong with me?" he gasps and Bonnie lowers her hand with a crooked smile.

"I think you were having a panic attack. Take it from someone who knows," she adds at his incredulous look and he spends the next few minutes breathing, trying to focus on anything but his sister. Unbidden the memory of Bonnie crouching on the ground, back to him with her hands planted in icy grass comes to mind.

"Remember - remember that day you pushed me into the pond?"

"I'm pretty sure I've done that more than once. Gotta be more specific."

"You thought I had gone and you panicked. I found you on your knees and you looked at me like - like someone who just had the best orgasm of their life. Can I have _that_ type of attack?"

Bonnie leans back, sucking in her cheeks and doesn't answer. He knows she is holding back something but he is too tired to annoy it out of her. The pain is gone and in it's place just a hollow weariness. He lifts a hand at an unlit candle across the room and Bonnie watches as he tries to light it. After numerous attempts the wick sputters alive and he slumps back, sweating more than ever.

"At least it's not totally gone?" Bonnie offers hopefully but he just shakes his head, staring anxiously at the candle that flickers in a draft. She tilts her head, considering.

"You're worried for them?"

"The coven? Not a one," he answers and her lips thin even more. He shrugs. "My sister probably isn't too jazzed right now..."

Bonnie regards him carefully, lips parting softly and he finds it difficult to look at her as much as he finds it impossible to look away. She is and always will be the most beautiful woman in any world. She leans forward and speaks quietly. "It's okay to be worried about her Kai, she's your twin."

"She hates me," he answers without meaning to. Bonnie smiles sadly.

"Even when someone hates you that doesn't change anything if you really love them. I guess that just proves how strong it is," she looks aside in contemplation and the tiniest hint of a smile curls her lips. Something pure and fragile settles between them and he knows with the wrong word it will snap. He could never utter another thing in waiting for her. Bonnie glances at him and the smile dims a little, mistaking his silence for the wrong kind of fear. "I'm sure she's still alive."

"...Yeah, she's tough," his smile is as fluttering as the candle. She leans away, that taut bond now relaxed but all he wants to do is wind his fist around it and tug her back. Bonnie stands suddenly, stifling a yawn and he leans up involuntarily, not wanting her to go. She hesitates and then walks to the window, drawing the curtain. The pause is seconds but in those moments she must have considered her decision, one to go and continue their months long fragile truce, spiked with animosity and bitterness or to accept the alternative and all the tentative trust that can be broken by either.

Bonnie turns and moves to sit on the end of the bed. "Tell me about Jo?"

* * *

He speaks for hours, pursuing over memories like people lovingly do over old photographs. Before he never felt any inclination to reminisce and if he did he felt next to nothing. Now looking back on those times is like finding colour and vibrance where once there was just faint lines on white paper. It hurts but it also makes him feel as other humans probably do.

"On our thirteenth birthday we're gifted with our first grimoire by the coven. We were both meant to write in it, make a collection of spells and whoever survives the merge would keep it," he explains as Bonnie listens attentively. She had discovered her magic and her nature as a witch in high school and even then her exposure was limited, guarded by a protective grandmother and a disapproving father. She feels envious listening to him.

"So you have it now?"

"Yeah, well it's back in Mystic Falls. Technically I guess I should have had Luke's but well…" he trails off, expression dark and troubled. Bonnie, leaning against a pillow in the middle of the bed, draws him out of his thoughts.

"I started to write my own but my gram's was pretty much perfect. She spent her whole life adding to it," she smiles sadly, thinking of her grandmother and with that thought comes a question she has spent many months wondering. "I still don't know why she sent me to your prison world."

"Maybe she felt bad," he suggests and Bonnie cocks an eyebrow.

"How do you figure that?"

"Well I had many, _many_ years to think about the Bennett connection to these prisons," he looks around the room. "You have purpose built cells for a certain witch family, which is kept under lock and key by another witch family. An _impartial_ party."

"Okay…" Bonnie frowns, confused but keeps listening.

"So at first I thought finding the Ascendant with instructions about how to get free was a cruel joke but the more I thought about it I don't think it was. Was your grandmother mean?" he asks and Bonnie stiffens.

"Of course not. She - she helped so much it cost her life," her voice shakes and Kai nods, face serious.

"Knowing that a Bennett witch could get me out was to give me hope. I think the Bennett witches were like the wardens of the prisons, the gatekeepers. Maybe they were meant to visit, see if the prisoner was worth releasing. I don't think I was meant to be there forever...but she died," he adds softly and coldness sweeps through Bonnie.

"And your chance for parole gone...until she sent me."

"So there you go, we met for a reason," he smiles but she does not return it. He had caused her so much pain, something that her grandmother probably did not intend or envision but it happened. Hate once rushed through her and the remnants of that hurt will never fade, now it just haunts her and as she regards him she sees the ghost of it in his eyes.

"Are you returning the favour now?"

"To help you out? Told you I did that before," he answers breezily and she frowns, moving until she is sitting crossed legged, dress tenting between her spread knees. His eyes flick to her bare feet and exposed ankles and then away.

"I only have your word for that."

He groans in exasperation. "Dude. Do a truth telling spell on me if you want. I was literally bleeding out pints in the Salvatore kitchen. Plus my magic was slowly killing me, but I didn't know it then."

Bonnie regards him closely and realises that she does believe him, has for awhile but the confusion is the same. "What did you get out of doing it?"

"What?"

"If you almost died trying to help me. I assume you had something riding on it," she watches him as he opens his mouth, closes it and looks aside before answering. He smirks, shrugging.

"Well it's true that no witch should do something for free, which by the way, you suck at. I wanted your bestie to send Jo a letter of apology."

"You almost died for a letter?"

"I hadn't figured out text messaging yet."

"You're ridiculous," Bonnie laughs and he smiles before gazing at her gently.

"It was your birthday...and I know how much they suck when no one turns up to your party. Had eighteen years of that, not the best day ever..."

"No, it wasn't," Bonnie clears her throat, eyes prickling. The memory of almost taking her life is something she flinches at but the one overriding feeling she grasps onto was the sensation of how much she wanted to live once there was air to breathe. That inhale and that light was like being born again, though she knows into a different person. Not unrecognisable but shifted, like a reflection in a funhouse mirror. Impressive but frightening.

She looks at Kai, who has his eyes closed, resting. He risked his life to apologize but what about now? He is getting nothing from staying here with her, it does not benefit him in anyway. Their time here together has not been easy, she has detested his presence for a large chunk of it but now… _He is staying because he doesn't believe I can get out. Would he do that for me?_

Bonnie studies his face, wishing she could have his thoughts and feelings spread out before her like a tapestry, working out the likely insane patterns and shapes that make up Malachai Parker. She sighs, hugging the pillow to her chest as his eyes open again and she quickly looks aside. The Northern Lights have stopped.

"Tell me what Expression is?" his voice is low, almost inaudible. Bonnie could pretend not to hear but she cocks her head.

"Sorry, gotta be level 10 type witch to know."

"Ha. Ha," Kai leans over, taking her arm and tugs her to him. "Come on, I've been asking you for weeks and you keep brushing it off. Whatever it is that's gonna help you get out of here...I'm in."

Bonnie smiles weakly. "You'll go if I go?"

"Right. I assume it's dark magic? Bon, you've known me for awhile now so I think you'll believe me when I say I'm not gonna freak out. I've dabbled in it before and to me magic is magic."

"Not this...this is the stuff that puts stars together and tears them apart," she explains and immediately he looks hungry, his fingers around her arm tightening.

"Show me?"

"No," she pulls away, leaning back but he follows her. Somethign like lust glows in his eyes and something in her responds. The magic is euphoric, a dark gold divinity and to share that with someone who could accept it? _No Bonnie, not him_...Faces almost touching she places a hand against his chest and pushes him back. He is weak from the loss of magic and does not stop her as she shuffles off the bed. "Don't push this Kai, okay? Get some sleep, we both should."

"Stay? I promise I won't ask any more questions," he smiles winningly and she almost gives in.

"No, you'll just talk and talk until the sun comes up," she gets to her feet, tired and he looks down, smiling. Reaching the door she looks back, watching the way his eyes close tight, not seeing her scrutiny. "Maybe your coven got into a fight trying to reach you, did you think of that?"

His eyes open and he stares at her. For a moment hopes flickers over his face before his jaw clenches and he shakes his head. "I think they died fighting the Heretics, who are siphoners _and_ vampires so I think their hate hard ons are extreme. Nothing to do with me or this place."

"Maybe...but whatever happened Jo is okay, I'm sure of it. We should try to send her something, to let her know. If it reaches her we can enchant something here to let us know she's okay. At least you'll know for sure. I've been thinking of sending something to my mother too."

He blinks and then smiles, looking a little bewildered. "Uh, thanks Bonnie."

She offers a small smile and closes the door softly, needing to escape before anything else is said. It makes her stomach flip, like she has missed a step and reels from the change of course but it feels like the right thing to do.

She has avoided telling him about Expression because the truth scares her. She said the magic is strong enough to rip apart stars, and that is what she will do. Trapped she will tear down the walls around her, make the snow burn even as it falls and devastate anything in her way until nothing remains. Can freedom be reached? She does not know but with this power in her grasp anything is possible. She has hope but she will not drag another person into this choice, into this magic. She will never forget what Kai has done to her but if he is the last person she sees then she will not spend that time with anger controlling her thoughts or actions. She owes herself that much before the end.

Steps light she moves back to her room, making gas lamps wink out along the way until darkness settles behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

He watches her move around the kitchen, the long rippling length of her gown swaying above the floor. Since she had taken to wearing the current fashion she has practically been covered from chin to toe. Kai now understands why men at the time lost their minds at an exposed ankle or the arch of a bare throat…

 _Get a grip…_ he scolds himself but the dreams have returned and he wakes in the night aching for her more than ever before. He had an active sex life before being imprisoned, he enjoyed it but each and every encounter had been an emotionless affair on his end. He savoured the conquest and moved on, often leaving angry and miserable girls in his wake. He did not care. Now he cares so much it paralysis him.

Bonnie glances at him as she places a ramekin onto the table top, hands protected with gloves. She smiles, pulling the gloves off and he shifts in his seat. Bonnie Bennett hated him, no mystery why, but now things are different. Her rage, her bitterness and pain are either so well cloaked that even he can't sense it or she has moved past those feelings. He wishes he knew how that is possible. Even her caution is gone, the usual distance, both emotionally and physically, has been breached..

This should fill him with joy, and mostly it does, but a shadow of uncertainty darkens this new development. He had thought her odd giddiness while she had been drunk was masking a frenzy, a cranking up towards a jump into an abyss and her present cheerfulness does little to diminish this feeling.

She is being so _amiable_ , to the point he is starting to doubt her. He had felt this once before, just for a moment, when she had lead him through the snow only to stab him. He had voiced his suspicions, wrapped them up in terms of the threat _he_ posed to _her_ but in his mind a warning had been blaring. He had stared at her head as if trying to read the puzzle of her mind. _Does she plan to kill me?_ He had fallen so hard for her lies that the relief had overwhelmed any doubts. Now all he has is time to put those pieces together...

"Kai you look so serious...I promise I haven't poisoned this...much," she looks at the _crème brulee_ she has made, _especially_ for him, and he smirks, pushing down a flicker of unease.

"I trust you...though I will judge you if it sucks."

"We can't all be Michelin star chefs. Though they can't do this," she adds and bends so her face is level with the ramekin. She purses her lips, concentrates, and then blows slowly across the top of the pudding. The custard instantly begins to darken, the heat of her breath glazing it until it cracks. Bonnie gets to her feet with an accomplished smile.

Kai laughs. "Better than a blowtorch," he smiles as she sets the pudding down before him and she actually look anxious for his approval. He grips the spoon, the new doubts fluttering around his head like disturbed bats. Maybe she senses his nerves because those crazed thoughts are blasted from his mind when she leans down and presses her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispers and hastily leaves before he can react. He touches his cheek. Her lips had been burning hot. As he finishes the pudding, which is delicious, he realises that he does not fear dying or even the hurt from that betrayal. What would gut him is if her olive branch is only extended so she can torch it. Witches can hold a grudge, he knows this better than anyone, and he knows this to be true of Bonnie. What if she is being kind only to screw him over in the only way that can truly damage him?

 _Would it change anything?_ Kai thinks on this, introspective and with a resignation that is both awful and freeing he sighs. _It wouldn't. I'm completely and utterly whipped._

He licks the ridges of the pot clean.

* * *

_The patterns swirl around her back, glittering in the sunshine. He flips her onto her back, making the bed bounce before hooking his fingers under the silver chain around her neck and tugs her to him. They kiss, hot open mouthed pants that shift into groans. The shattered pieces of the lamp shudder and once again begin to float above the floor. She gives a loud moan, nails digging into his back and the armchair levitates._

" _We're home!"_

_The new voices sends the chair crashing to the floor and the couple to the bed. His hand covers her mouth and he buries his face against her neck. It does little to stifle the noise._

" _Quick," she pleads…_

Bonnie's eyes spring open, gasping pleas, hands grasping but only finding the drapes hanging from her bed. She slumps into the pillows, entire body flushing with heat and lust. The dreams, dreams she had thought had escaped from Kai's lecherous mind like gas, visit her every night now. From his hesitance around her, the thick air and unsaid words she knows he is experiencing the same.

Whoever the dreams originate with does not matter, _why_ they do is and how to stop it. He had told her that witches do share dreams when sleeping close by and his family had each room charmed to stop intrusive dreams and nightmares for privacy. They had done it to their rooms but no spell seems powerful enough to stop them. It has moved beyond humiliation and into a frustrated exhaustion.

She is taking steps to open herself up to him, towards _friendship_ before he leaves but this is making it complicated. He wants her, they both know it and while he is handsome, _very_ handsome…

"Nope. Stop that nonsense," Bonnie taps her temple in reprimand. She has eyes and on a detached aesthetic level she can see how the last few months have...matured him into a man rather than the lean boy he had been but that is as far as it goes. A year ago this stance was air tight but now...now she knows the feel of his lips and how ferociously centred his attention is for her.

No one but her…

Bonnie presses the heel of her hands against her eyes and then sits up, getting out of bed. The snow is falling slowly, a gentle flurry but she knows in a few hours, practically to the minute, it will blizzard and the view will be a white-out. _White is the colour of madness_ , she thinks, picking up the green skirt she had laid out the night before. She turns, catching her reflection in the mirror and pauses. Her appearance has changed little, as is only expected, but the sight still sends a shiver through her.

She should be getting ready for college as the summer winds down, maybe saying goodbyes to her cousins or maybe even strangers in some far flung country. She'd have a little well beaten translation book and a backpack, a camera full of memories and stack of postcards waiting to be sent.

Here she has a reflection that does not change, a world in looping stasis. If white is madness then hell is repetition. How long is too long? He will go, either through his own efforts or hers but she will be alone. Will she be able to make clear choices by then? Will she be able to tell the difference between here and out there?

"Will I remember there is an out there? No postcards…" she could send them, of course, she is her very own mail service but who would be there to read them? Who will be left? One person could, if he gets out…

 _When_. She gazes at the plain skirt, brow furrowed before she flings it away. She can control one thing _now_ : herself and while she still has the courage. Being here drives you mad but she reasons she has to be a little cracked to contemplate what she is about to do. She will get out, one way or another but she does not have hundreds of lives linked to her own. Kai is not so lucky. She cannot risk those lives or the weight of them on her conscious if giving into Expression renders her control into nothing but pure will.

_There's only one way. I have to send him away...but it will be a night to remember, whatever happens._

Bonnie smiles, lips curling before it falls in fear and then curls up again. This happens repeatedly as she picks a dress she has never worn before, unaware of the kaleidoscope of emotions rising and falling before the mirror.

* * *

Today is different. He is not sure what the date is, he gave up counting some time ago. He no longer measures time by the rising of the sun or the burst of dancing lights in the sky but by the scowl of her gaze and the snarl of her lips to the roll of her eyes and the bark of cruel laughter to the fleeting smiles and curious questions. From when she hated him to now. The change is a process, one not complete and he knows she is effectively stepping on ice, a timid path that may not hold up her unsure weight but trusting that it will. At least he hopes so because if she slams a heel under her they will both crack and fall.

 _Stop_. _Stop over thinking. The time for that is long gone. She has changed._

He feels like laughing and knows that these thoughts must whirl around her head too. Clearing his mind he looks up from the book he had been reading as he senses her approach and turns. His eyes widen.

Her hair is plaited and piled in intricate loops to form a bun on top of her head. Tiny diamonds and mother of pearl pins glitter in the dark tresses, so when she moves she sparkles like she has stars floating around her head. A floor length grey mink coat is belted closed and it curls softly around her neck, where one of her hands is clasping it closed.

"Wow...you look so fluffy I wanna run my hands through you."

This comment is rewarded with a sucking noise and a blush. He smiles, now a little shyly, and moves to her. She watches him from under her lashes and slowly lifts her chin. She looks regal and dangerous and every part of him is on fire. He imagines her in charge of her own coven, seated like a queen and then places himself beside her. They could rule together, couldn't they? Has that happened before?

These wild thoughts rush through his head he only realises he has reached out when he feels the plush fur against his fingertips. Bonnie turns aside slightly and he loses contact.

"I have a surprise for you."

"Really? Should I be worried?" he narrows his eyes playfully and she shrugs.

"That should be evident by now. Come on," she turns and he follows, forgets to bring a coat and only realizes he still has the book in his hand when the wind makes the pages flutter. He slots it into the mailbox at the end of the drive and hurries to catch up. She does not break a stride.

* * *

She leads him to the largest mansion along the main road, one he had spent many hours exploring. She had accompanied him a few times but never shared his enthusiasm for it. He guesses half the thrill is the danger of the home owners discovering you…but even that wares off in time. There comes a point when every house and room you enter is yours, every state, every country…a ruler of everything and nothing.

Pushing the unsatisfying memory of his time in the other prison world aside he watches her as she walks to a set of double doors, which open to let her pass and into a vast ballroom. On this night in 1903 the owners of this mansion had been throwing a Halloween party and the remnants of this are everywhere. Food on plates and sparkling champagne and deep red wine decorate tables, as if the guests had all stepped out moments before. Cobwebs hang from fixtures and windows, where a pumpkin or other carved vegetable sits flickering with candlelight. Gaslight burns from chandeliers above, which create flickering beams of light onto the dance floor below and over where the orchestra would have played. The rest of the large room is in shadow.

"I bet this was one hell of a party," he looks down from the vaulted ceiling to watch Bonnie slip the coat from her shoulders. The ball gown is gold satin, threaded with black silk and lace over the clinging bodice, which offers an expanse of cleavage. Her arms are bare and around her throat is a black jet choker. Kai stares at her open mouthed as she balls her fists and breathes heavily.

"I - I found it in this house and thought -"

"It's beautiful. You're beautiful," he says and his voice is blessedly smooth, if a little breathless. She is stunning, ball gown or doc martens, it does not matter. Bonnie looks down at herself, smiling shyly but clearly pleased.

"Thank you," she moves to him, folding the coat over the back of a chair before giving him a once over. He is in a plain white shirt and dark pants but she seems to find this agreeable. Smiling she takes a seat at a small round table and he joins her.

"So...is there a dance card or something I have to sign?"

"Of course but it's kinda full, you might have to wait," she winces apologetically.

"Popular huh? Well I don't mind waiting," he lifts his hand and snaps his fingers. A silver tray with crystal flumes and a bucket of champagne float over to them, as of carried by an invisible waiter. Bonnie utters a little fake gasp as the tray settles on the table.

"Did - did you do that?"

Kai's lips twitch at her simpering act but he plays along. He leans closer, eyeing the room swiftly before whispering. "Don't tell anyone but...I'm a witch."

She gasps and a hopeful smile flickers over her mouth before speaking. "... _Me too!_ "

"No way! I haven't seen you at any of the parties!"

"That's because Bennett witches are never invited to anything fun!"

Kai nods in sympathy. "Right, I heard the only invites you get are text messages from stupid people who need rescuing. That should change."

Bonnie frowns. "Text...messages? I haven't heard of that."

"That's because it hasn't been invented yet."

She keeps a straight face before bursting into laughter and he joins her. She sighs, sitting back and he takes a moment to savour her expression and then realizes she is doing the exact same thing to him. In fact since that morning he has felt her eyes on him constantly and when he caught her gaze she did not look away.

"You keep looking at me."

She looks aside for a moment and then back, half smiling. "It's not everyday I meet the all powerful leader of a coven."

Kai shakes his head, pulling the bottle free of the ice chips. "Not so powerful now and not much of a leader."

"But you just started. I'm sure you'll get into the swing of it in time," her voice is gently encouraging and Kai looks askew at her as he shakes the bottle.

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"No," she laughs and then yelps when the cork flies out of the bottle. Froth bubbles over his hands and he hastily pours them into glasses she offers. "Bennett witches haven't had a coven leader in...I don't know, a long time."

"So there's an opening there. I think you should fill it," he places the bottle back and watches her sip at the champaign. She grimaces but takes another gulp.

"Maybe…" she watches the bubbles rise and pop before lifting her glass. "Happy Samhain."

"Only in a manner of speaking," he clicks his glass against hers and then watches as she downs hers in one, likely considering the possibility of an entire year passing. She sticks out her tongue in disgust but reaches for the bottle again.

"So, seriously, what does a coven leader do?" she asks, dropping the pretend of earlier.

"Well, we oversee the members. I have a secretary and then senior staff who deal with district leaders. They all answer to me, well they should…"

"District leaders?"

"Yeah, from state to state, country to country. My family gets around."

"So the actual coven, the meeting place, is in Portland?"

"No. That was just our family home. The actual seat of power is situated on an island off the west coast. On a cliff is a house. It's called the Lighthouse and it's _huge_ , literally bigger on the inside. The entire island is cloaked."

Bonnie sighs, imagining it, chin resting on her hand. "Must be nice to be so connected to other witches."

Kai lowers his glass, frowning. "You are. Hello," he widens his eyes as she smiles.

"You know what I mean. I'm not really part of a coven."

"Then make one...or join mine," he suggests without thinking and holds his breath, realising what he had just offered her and praying that she does not guess or know their custom. Bonnie eyebrows lift and she gazes at him without speaking before shaking her head.

"No offence but your coven is _crazy_."

"I know, none taken," he sighs internally and gulps more alcohol. A part of Kai, the Kai who ruthlessly went for what he wanted, shakes his head in disgust. He just asked Bonnie to effectively marry him, which is the only way for non Gemini members to join the coven. He stares at the empty bottle in the melting ice and lays his glass down. He is a messy drunk, she doesn't have to see that…

If Bonnie knows his thoughts she does not show it. She stares at the dance floor, gaze glossy. She is already tipsy. Kai smiles at her wistful look as she inspects the violins and piano sitting idle. He picks up a spoon and taps it against his glass, making Bonnie turn to him. In the ringing silence the room seems to full into a deeper hush but with an incantation the plink of keys and the pluck of strings begins to fill the room. The orchestra is warming up.

"How did you do that?" she turn to him, mouth open and he shrugs.

"Some objects, especially ones that are used, hold a trace of that use, that purpose. They've been wanting to play for a hundred years," he adds, not knowing if that is true but he always got the sense with cars and stereos in the 1994 prison world that they were happy to be running again. But then, he is crazy. He gets to his feet as music swells around them, something dark and oddly sensual, perfect for Halloween. A waltz. He offers his hand. Bonnie laughs, shaking her head.

"I've had too much to drink. I can't."

"What? Waiting for your other dates?"

She hesitates, licking her lips, before placing her hand in his. They move to the centre of the room, stopping in a beam of light from a chandelier and stand looking at each other. He pulls her to him gently, placing a hand against her waist as she rests hers against his shoulder.

"Bet you never pictured this happening a year ago."

Bonnie smirks. "I actually entered your prison world with hope. My grams, before she moved on, said that she found peace because she had guaranteed that I was going to find mine."

Kai laughs incredulously. "She thought that peace was with me? Your granny was wild."

"She was…" Bonnie's smile fades and Kai pulls her closer as they move. Neither are paying attention to the music. Bonnie gazes up at the glass dome above them, which is piling with snow. The _Aurora Borealis_ will begin soon. "I hope she knows where I am...but then I remember she's moved on. That's a good thing," she adds quickly as he opens his mouth to console her. "When witches died they were stored on the other side like batteries. That wasn't right. She's at peace."

"Do you really think she sent you to me for that reason? To find that?"

She stares at him for a long time, face impassive before she smirks. "I know you've changed but I don't think _peace_ is in your vernacular."

He smiles, dropping the topic, and twirls her around before tugging her back. She grins, bumping against his chest and he wraps his arms around her waist. He can feel the heat from her, the heave of her chest against his but the thing that sends his blood roaring is that current running through her that sends that same strange chord in him vibrating, a silent frequency like theremin music. Her magic and his.

"You trust me now, don't you?"

"...I suppose I do, though I might regret it."

"You won't. I said before that I didn't expect you to believe me, to just give me a chance to prove that it was worth you doing that...and you have. I am sorry Bonnie, for what I did to you, you and my family. I can't change what happened but the way I feel about it _is_ different now. I'm not sure if I have your forgiveness, before the only way I knew how was to make you laugh with stupid jokes," he admits and this time he gets the desired response. He sighs and clasps her hands. They have stopped dancing some time ago.

Bonnie inhales deeply, nodding her head with a thoughtful look. "Once I said to Damon that he was different from you because he felt remorse. You spent all those years alone and didn't regret."

"I couldn't."

"I know...but you do now. That's why you're here. You can't face your coven because you think you don't deserve to. That's why you've stayed when you could have left so long ago."

Kai looks at the ground and then up at her. Her gaze is patient, understanding and sad. "Maybe you're right but that's not all. You know why I'm here, don't you?"

"To prove to me that you want to make amends. To appease your guilt."

"No. I mean yes at first but god," he stops, frustrated with all the things he does not know how to say. Would those words matter? She does not feel that way about him and likely never will, even if they become something close to friends. He doesn't even know how to be that, he's never had the chance before.

"Kai?" she whispers and he leans forward.

"Half the time I feel things and I have absolutely no idea what they are. Literally. But the one thing I do know is that I can't see a day without you in it and the prospect of that is not something I'm going to accept. I'm here and I'm not leaving unless you're by my side. After that it's up to you but my feelings won't change. If you need me I'll be there."

Bonnie stares at him, eyes gleaming in the candlelight until they shimmer with unshed tears. She swallows convulsively and looks down, nodding. He doesn't move or speak, hands still clutching hers and when she looks up his heart stops. She looks miserable.

"I just - I just couldn't see it, I didn't want to. I hated you and that anger gave me strength. I needed that to survive but now…" she sighs, sniffing. "I'm tired and I wanna go home."

"You will, you'll get out."

She nods and then sighs, dejected. "I just wish there was another way."

"What?"

"Nothing…" Bonnie looks up as the room begins to flicker with green and pink lights. The celestial event has begun. He stares up and does not see the way her face falls, crumples and then becomes hard like stone. The only thing he senses is her fingers lacing through his. He looks down.

"So...should we finish this dance?"

Bonnie smiles and nods but surprises him when she moves forward. Her arms twine around his neck, her body pressing against his and his hands hover in the air before he pulls her up against him. Tips toes balancing against the floor she hangs in his embrace but she is a binding force, her arms around him tightly. He is not one for hugs, neither giving or receiving, but this one makes his chest expand with happiness.

"Wow, you're tiny but you give great bear hugs."

"Wrap me up," she whispers into his ear and most of the air escapes his lungs. He does it, pressing her body to his and she leans her head back to stare at him. She is crying. "I don't know if I can forgive, not yet. It's not only about the fights, I mean I jammed a pick axe into your heart," she admits and he says nothing, face unreadable. "You cooked me thanksgiving dinner and somehow I started to trust you. I suppose I just wanted to see some light in you, if we really were stuck there together. I don't give that trust over lightly, I never have but I did...and I was wrong."

"And you're angry at yourself for that. I don't know if it matters now but I didn't want to go alone, I hoped you'd see things my way, want to side with me, but…"

"The most important thing was yourself."

"Yes. Now you know that's changed. I don't expect forgiveness, that's not gonna happen overnight or however many months we've been here," he smiles quickly before pulling her closer to him. "I just want whatever the next step is."

"Frenemies?" she suggests and he frowns in amusement. "I don't know if I wanted you here only because I can't stand the alternative or maybe you have got under here," Bonnie sighs and taps her chest, tears still falling and surprising him she moves her head forward quickly and presses her mouth to his. He tastes the salt of her tears, the trembling of her lips and would slate that sadness from her but she pulls back and buries her face in the crook of his neck. Kai, overwhelmed and again bewildered stares up at the _Northern Lights_ shining above them.

A sudden chill floods him as Bonnie's arms tighten even more. _I've felt this before_. She had held him with this desperation before, the night her hope appeared to die. What is this?

_A goodbye._

"Bon?"

"I'm sorry but I can't risk it. Thank you, thank you for staying, " she whispers and kisses the side of his face before speaking again, muttering and at first he does not hear but he does not have to. Bright white light beams down around them, the ascending light. _She is going to send me away._

"No!" Kai pulls at her waist, trying to get her off him but she tightens her grip, shouting the spell now. He grabs her shoulders and forces her back. "What are you doing?!"

"What I plan to do is dangerous. I might not make it out, I don't think anything will survive. So you have to go, for your coven!"

Kai bares his teeth as she begins the chant again and he growls. "Motus!"

Bonnie is flung from him, sliding across the floor before falling to her knees. She lifts a hand and he feels something looping around his chest and then he is tugged roughly to her, a binding spell. Kai slams her back with magic until she hits the far wall.

"Bonnie stop!" he yells but the binding drags him to her. Kai bats her arms away as she reaches for him but he is powerless to stop. Slamming against her Bonnie straightens and immediately begins the spell again.

" _Phasmatus Omittamus!_ " Kai barks and Bonnie's eyes bulge as no words come from her mouth. She tries again and the desperation turns to anger as she slams the heel of her hands against his chest. He catches her wrists and forces them down as she struggles. He sees fear in her eyes, expecting him to drain her magic and it takes everything in him not to. However Bonnie does not know this. She bares her teeth and then squeezes her eyes shut and Kai jerks back suddenly.

The magic within her is always a tantalizing undercurrent, something he can pick up on when close and especially when he touches her. Fingers now locked around her wrists that glowing seam inside her suddenly comes to frenzied life, like the sun had just switched on in her chest. The magic within her is suddenly immense and each second it swells with her erratic heartbeat. The chandeliers creek as the flames gut and flare, gut and flare. Sheet music and napkins flutters through the air, before plates and glasses join them, shattering and shredding, becoming a vast glittering and flapping maelstrom around the room.

Her eyes snap open and blank white orbs peer back at him. Kai gasps, breath exhaling and time slows, the swooping lights above moving like honey until the room is bathed in an eerie green light. She arches her neck, mouth parting in ecstasy and all reason is dashed from his mind. He tightens his fingers and siphons from her, unable to resist.

 _I've felt this before_ , the thought is faint, like someone is saying it from another world and he sees Luke before him, eyes white as Bonnie's and knows that his gaze is the same. The Merge, an act of dark magic, had rendered his mind blank and stopped his heart until he had awoken as the victor. He remembers the power rushing through him, the way it had made the world around him violent, caught in a vortex. _Unstable_. He had felt like a god. He only remembers it now, the loss of that power taking his very memory with it.

Before the last remnants of his control give way a part of him wishes that Bonnie had sent him home but then all reason leaves him. He pulls Expression from her, more and more but it is not enough and with a terrifying beautiful smile she nods once. Power is unleashed from her to him, a torrent and he staggers, the feeble lungs in his chest unable to get enough air to his brain. Panting he struggles between wanting more and keeping his mind. He could drown contently in it and from the dazed look on her face she'd happily do it.

As he siphons from her, a supply that seems endless, the link between them is wide open. Taking magic from others always leaves him vulnerable, that was how she knew so long ago that he did not have the spell to get out of his old prison world. He can take but his thoughts and every desire is exposed. The power, _Bonnie_ , rushes through him like liquid gold and nothing is hidden from her, and with every curious touch at his feelings he is awash with them. As if prying a rock up all his terrible urges, his gleeful manipulations and his unquenchable desire is laid bare but then others, softer, deeper things too fragile to touch. Soon they flash past, too much but she keeps playing over them with a light touch. Hate, fear, anger, doubt, revenge, possession, jealousy, lust, hope, humour, glee, guilt, so much guilt it chokes him and then there. Love.

_Love , love, love, love you…_

As this floods Kai he is helpless, laughing manically one moment only to cry out in pain in another and her voice echoes him, caught in this maelstrom she has tapped. She takes that feeling, that feeling he could not name and squeezes it like a fist around a heart.

_Stop! Stop! Stop!_

Hearing his thoughts she frowns and drops her hands, closing her eyes with a sigh. Kai stumbles back, bending over his knees and inhales greedy gulps of air. The whirlwind around them stops immediately, sending a broken mess to the floor and the green light from the sky fades away. Kai looks up at her from his crouched position and sees her wrecked expression, the lost look in her eyes. He rises, reaching for her, that power still roaring inside him.

"You shouldn't be here," she stares like an animal caught in a light beam, eyes flicking between his and down and the tension is unbearable, an airless waiting that only snaps when she moves. Her lips crush against his, forcing his mouth apart with her tongue. He wraps his arms around her, picking her up off the floor as her hands delve into his hair and grip tightly. He wants to rip her clothes off and by the fumbling if her fingers against his belt she feels the same. But he wants her in a bed, has wanted nothing else for months. Aroused laced anger about to snap, reasoning untethered by the power he had barely survived, he grips her tightly and transports them away from the ballroom and to a master bedroom above.

She gasps into his mouth as they materialize in an oak panelled room with a huge four poster, one on a plinth. He cups her face and kisses her roughly, like he wants to suck the air from her lungs, draw that power back out. Can he taste it? He breaks away from her lips as she tugs his belt free, fingers skimming over his straining erection and he groans before pressing his mouth to her throat, feels the pulse of her rapid heartbeat. He prises his fingers under the jet choker, breaking it. Her chest heaves, contracted by the corset she had decided to wear and she can barely breathe. He becomes even more aroused, licking and biting at her chest, fingers hooking into the hem of her dress and roughly tugging it apart and down.

She inhales greedily, breasts free and cradles his head as he kisses, sucks and bites at them, pushing her towards the bed until her lower back hits the end of the mattress. It is situated so high he has to vault her up onto it but the silky material of her dress makes her slide down, drawing her skirts up. Egg grey stockings rasp softly against his fingers as he pull her dress up, her hands making quick work of his trousers as they fall to his feet. He had imagined this happening so often, from their time in 1994, to the present and now. Taking her in every room in the mansion they have been stuck in but he never imagined the hasty fumble of this, the lack of finesse. He is pure ravenous want.

Bonnie grabs hold of one of the hanging drapes to level herself up as he rolls her dress up over her hips, where her stocking are clipped to garters around her thighs. She is bare between the legs and his eyes darken even more with lust, his lips curling. " _Naughty girl_ ," he gazes at her with a predatory appreciation. She offers her own, breathing heavily and hooks her fingers around the silver chain he always wears and pulls him to her. He kisses her hard, tongue delving into her mouth before placing his hands under her thighs, hiking her up and spreading her legs. She wraps one arm around his shoulder, fingers digging into his back as he centers himself and with one thrust enters quick and hard. She groans loudly into his ear, fingernails leaving crescents in his skin as he pushes into her again, supporting most of her weight. Still half dressed they thud against the base of the bed, making the sturdy frame creak and the drapes above them sway. Bonnie groans, head flung back as she slots the heels of her feet into the base of the mattress and begins to meet his pounding thrusts with her own.

"Please," he begs and she opens her eyes. "Please?" he hardly hears himself, not knowing what he begs for. _Yes you do_... He does not give her time to answer as he captures her mouth, hands threading into her hair, scattering the jewels she had put there. Bonnie pulls back, her face flushed with pleasure and something wild and it is the most erotic thing he has ever seen. She gasps for air, teeth gritting as her stomach muscles seize and she clamps around him, making him swear. He draws a knee back, pushing her so she is half lying on the bed and proceeds to fuck her with a frenzy, gyrating his hips in a way that makes her scream. The drape in her fist smokes and begins to burn and she lets go, not caring if the entire room starts to blaze around them.

"I - I never knew," she pants, breasts bouncing at his unrelenting pace and he grins.

"Never been with another witch?"

She shakes her head, eye reflecting the spread of the fire above them. He feels a flash of happiness that she is his first before another wave of pleasure rushes through her, making her hips jerk and arch. He is close, very close but he works her as she chases after her release, thumb brushing very gently against her clit and she chokes on the pleasure, her eyes wide.

The fire around them suddenly rages, utterly destroying the drapes as it spreads like wildfire but does not touch anything else as she orgasms. Kai grabs her hips and flings her up and off the bed. He falls to his knees on a rug and pushes her into her back, thrusting into her wet heat again and with every thrust the floorboards ripples under them, spreading to the very walls, making the ceiling bulge and the small chandelier swing wildly.

The magic bursts out of them, uncontrolled, the upheaval of the room more an extension of themselves then something they inhabit. Kai forces her legs back, leaning up and with a long low moan he watches as her eyes flash white. He fumbles for her hands, pushing them down by her head and pulls on what she is offering but as soon as he has a taste it is gone. His orgasm hits him, too intense to contemplate the tease of power he just lost as he comes inside her, shouting her name, muscles straining before finishing in slow lazy strokes as she kneads the back of her head against the rug. He collapses against her, gasping for air and sweating. He opens his eyes and stares down at her.

She smiles, contently and clearly as utterly satisfied as he is. She places a hand against the side of his head and asks one question. "This is the other side of me...this is a path into darkness, not evil," she clarifies, "but into something uncontrollably powerful. Are you sure you want this? This is the price of wanting to help me Kai."

He locks his gaze with hers. "I wanted this the moment we met, I just didn't know it was there. I want you, everything you are," he utters, closes his eyes and kisses her tenderly. Her eyes remains open before they too close and the power within them settles, equally sated to be shared.


	11. Chapter 11

Senses honed to a needle point she throbs with life, with death and everything in that delicate balance rests in her hands. Their hands…

"This - this is the pinnacle of being a witch. What I felt before, it was like channelling mud," Kai murmurs into her ear, arms curled around her waist. They stand on the porch of the mansion, watching the house they had just had sex in burn to the ground. Fire had escaped from her, uncontrolled and they watch it destroy in their aftermath. A small part of Bonnie registers concern but dismisses it. It will be back to normal in the next reset.

She smiles, kneading the back of her head against his chest. This magic has terrified her for so long, entwined with the mechanics of a brainwashing immortal but now it feels entirely hers...hers to share. She had felt apprehension at giving Kai access to this power, deeming the darkness too much a temptation but with the sharing of it she sees her mistake. It is not dark, nor evil, it is power and he will not use it against her. That is what she has been so scared of, having that control taken from her. Bonnie closes her eyes.

 _He loves me..._ the thought is soft and oddly young. Sharing Expression with him had formed link, a link that left him wide open. She had played her fingers over the intricate layers that made him, the memories and emotions, the hopes and despairs until she had delved into a well spring that laces through him entirely as the power she shares. He loves her more than his own life, more than any life. With all this power rushing through her like blood she wishes she had the ability to look inside herself as easily. What would he see? Would he love her as fiercely as it appears if he could?

"I'm glad I was your first," Kai brushes his lips against her neck, tipping her chin up and Bonnie opens her eyes. She brushes her fingertips over the back of his hands and then laces their fingers together. She frowns as the mansion across the road cracks and ashes begin to fall, mingling with snowflakes.

"I'm not the first witch you've been with?"

"You are. I just knew that it was different. My coven has a library with a restricted section on sex magic. You can imagine how quickly I cracked that," he spins her around and she grins, placing her hands in his shoulders. Before leaving the mansion he had grabbed the fur coat she had worn, to cover her ripped dress but she know it was not an act of chivalry.

_He wants to fuck me in it and nothing else…and I'm going to let him._

"I see, so you never got to put what you studied into practice huh?" she stands on tiptoes, mouth brushing but not quite touching his and his eyes burn.

"Never had the right study buddy," he leans down, almost touching her mouth but she looks up, head thrown back. Snowflakes drift softly across her face like kisses, gathering in her eyelashes and he buries his face against her throat. "God, Bonnie…"

Bare feet levitating off the ground she pulls him closer to her, staring down into his eyes. Fingertips cupping his face she very gently kisses his mouth and gives him a taste of the power raging inside her. He stiffens and then kisses her like he wants to eat her whole.

 _You want this so much it burns_ , _I can feel it,_ she whispers into his mind and feels him flinch before he kisses her with a frenzy and her ability to think evaporates. Carrying her into the house, the door flinging open to let them pass, they leave the other mansion to burn and smoulder in the snow.

* * *

Flames burst from fireplaces, candles flare to scorch ceilings and as the morning snow starts to fall it suddenly hangs suspended, as if the world has taken a breath and held it. Then with a shudder that spreads through acres the snow evaporates in the sudden heat, the ground becoming soaking wet in a downpour. It begins to rain.

Bonnie presses her cheek against his sweaty chest, trying to breathe as he laughs below her. All sense of time is meaningless, there is just when the power flooded from her hands to his and now. Magic swirls around them and she can see it, like a trillion motes caught in the wake of their movements. She watches it parts softly with her every exhale.

"It's gold. Can you see it?" she lifts her head, stares at him. They have been making love for hours but every time she looks at him a tingle of surprise runs through her. She has imagined them together but not like this, not this complete connection. The one thing she did predict correctly was that he liked to talk during sex. A lot.

"...When I touch you, or you touch me..." he runs his fingertips along her sides, tickling her and she squirms. Smiling she leans up, mouth close to his and her eyes narrow playfully.

"Like this?" she asks and her hand travels slowly along his chest, further down until she brushes the tip of her finger along his erection caught between them. He inhales sharply.

" _Christ_...nope didn't see anything," he adds, humming and she smirks before gripping him in her fist. She scoots back on his lap as he leans up against the headboard, desperate eyes flicking between her face and hand. She has been toying with him mercilessly and he seems to love it almost as much as he gets off hearing her scream his name.

"Guess I'll have to try harder," she says, watching him bite his bottom lip before she lowers down and takes him into her mouth. His fists clench the sheet as she licks and sucks gently, her hand grasping the base of his cock. Eyes trained on his she takes him in deeper, head bobbing and he releases a stream of words, half pleas and half curses. She sucks back up and down his length, deep throating him as he struggles to keep still. When his fingers tangle in her hair she releases him with a popping noise.

"See it now?"

"What?" he looks like a thirsty person being denied water even though it's right in front of him. Bonnie laughs as he suddenly grabs her hips and tugs her to him. Lips clashing together he kisses her hard, tongue swiping her lip before ravishing her mouth. Bonnie twines her arms around his neck as he takes himself in hand and with the other on her hip, guides her onto him. They groan. She pulls back, eyes fixed on his as rain pitter patters against the window.

"Listen to that," she says with a gentle wonder and he smiles softly before rocking his hips. Hands gripping his shoulders she lets him take control, tilting her head back as she bounces on his lap, a contented smile on her face as her eyes close. His hands glow against her hips and she gently shares Expression, opening her eyes as he channels it from her. A part of her whispers a warning, to be careful, to withhold but every time he gets a taste the feeling that floods through him mirrors her own: they feel like something beyond human, beyond even witches.

_We can do anything..._

But she is still the one holding this immense power, a power that he cannot generate but already desires more and more. _I could kill him with this if I'm not careful..._ Bonnie cups his face as his eyes roll back in his head, too wrecked with power to move below her. She kisses him sweetly, brushing his hair back before suddenly pulling the power away. He jerks, eyes snapping open and he growls at the loss, hands clamping around her hips but she starts to ride him hard and fast.

"You're mean," he whines and she grins as he grabs the back of her head and kisses her. Bonnie wraps her arms around him, breasts crushed against his chest and tipping on the edge of her orgasm she hold her breath as his movements become erratic, his muscles stiffening under her hands. As he inhales a ragged breath, hips arching her clean off the bed she lets go of her hold on Expression until it saturates them. They scream, climaxing together, their pleasure entwining until neither can tell what is what.

_Oh my god -_

The words vibrate through their heads as his heart stops for the span of a breath. They open their eyes to find the walls separating, the bed shuddering apart in the air and the ceiling floating upwards as the roof tiles are prised up until the sky is visible. Morning suddenly gives way to night but the sun remains, a midnight sun shining through the rippling light of the _aurora borealis_.

_The eclipse…_

Terrified she falls back, scrabbling away as the house around them suddenly clamps back together like it had never been torn apart. Kai keels over, gasping for breath, clutching his chest as his heart beats fiercely. Face pressed against the mattress, he takes a few deep breaths before turning to look at her crouching by the end of the bed, hands wrapped around a poster.

"Did that - that really just happen? Did we do that?"

Bonnie opens her mouth but no words come out. Guilt floods her, still feeling the stopping of his heart as if it had been her own. "I almost killed you," she utters and then crawls to him, touching his face gently. He smiles and then laughs.

"Bonnie I can't die here. Well, not for long anyway…" he sits up and gently pulls her against him. "I'm okay. You saw the eclipse didn't you? That was 1994...as much as I never want to see that sky again that was awesome."

Bonnie nods, swallowing with difficulty, her throat dry. "This - this happened once before but I didn't use Expression."

"When?"

Bonnie explains about her eventual escape from the other prison world and Kai frowns until a look of understanding settles on his face. He draws Bonnie into his arms, moving them back along the bed to lie down.

"After the merge I was dying, only I didn't know it then. The magic was...corrupted. Jo agreed to give me her magic otherwise this place and the other world would...well I thought it would collapse but now I'm not so sure," he looks up at the now perfect ceiling as Bonnie rests by his side. Her heart beats hard, still shaken. The sight of an eclipse in the northern lights was uncanny and makes her shudder.

"It was like the worlds where blending together, in flashes. I guess we probably shouldn't do that again," she suggest and Kai frowns at her.

"Are you kidding? Bon that's your way out of here...and I think you knew that," he adds wonderingly. "You can't leave this place while it exists and it only exists if I live. Kill me and you're free to move to the other prison world."

Bonnie shake her head, leaning on his chest. "No, I won't risk it. Even if I was able to cross over I'd still be stuck. The ascendant can't travel to the real world."

Kai smiles smugly. "Each ascendant is made especially for it's world, like a key cut for one lock. I think if we pass over the binding curse on you won't work."

"Because the 1994 ascendant is still there and active," Bonnie says and hope ignites in her body like an explosion.

"Exactly," he grins, hugging her closer to him. "You're getting out of here Bonnie. See, aren't you glad your sneaky little plan to send me away didn't work?"

Bonnie gives him a withering look. The first thing he had done once they reached her bedroom was to bend her over the table and fuck her with a lust filled anger that quickly turned into something playful as she begged him not to stop. Bonnie licks her lips, still feeling wanton. "I didn't want to involve you because I didn't know what would happen. Part of me still wants to send you home after what just happened."

"Too late for that," he mumbles, mouth brushing over hers. "I die for you and come back. It's not the first time…" he smiles swiftly as she blinks tiredly. He has told her of his bewilderment at his apparent selflessness immediately post merge, at the lengths he went to save her but she still cannot envision it. He would risk it now, that she has no confusion about, but then?

Bonnie rubs her thumb against his stubble. "Show me."

"What?"

"I want to see what you did."

Kai opens his mouth but hesitates, eyes flicking between hers. "You really wanna see that?"

"Show me," she repeats and Kai gazes at her deeply before nodding. He cups the side of her face as she settles her head down on the pillow beside his, hands resting against his chest. Side by side he exhales a calming breath.

"Close your eyes, slow your heart like you're about to fall asleep," he instructs quietly and Bonnie does it, evening out her breathing as she shuts her eyes. Body relaxing she feels something soft brushing the corner of her mind, patiently waiting to enter and as she succumbs to a dream like state the presence at the edge of her conscious settles, seeping through the layers of dreams until it releases something firmer and stable. A memory…

_I have to stop Bonnie…_

She watches her ex and Kai simultaneously from a high vantage point, detached, but she is also the bloody man lying crumpled on the kitchen floor. Everything else is a blur of light and echoing sounds.

...blood soaks his shirt, sticking to his skin but it is secondary to the woozy, sick feeling now circling around his throat. _Fear, it's fear but not for me._

 _Okay...okay_ , he manages a weak smile and using the last bit of strength he has, sweat trickling into his eyes, he chants the spell to save Bonnie Bennett's life. The push to the other dimension at once saps any power to return but also lessens the awful pain in his back and abdomen.

On his feet but still covered in blood he watches as she struggles to drink, back to him. Her soft cries reach his ears and through the numb pain something knife sharp and lacerating slices through him and he lowers his head, unable to look but also unable to keep his eyes off her.

 _This is worse than guilt, this is worse than anything before..._ confused and feeling his life starting to slip away he steals himself when she gives a cry of frustration and the bottle she drinks from smashes to the floor in her rage. All air escapes him in a rush of acute misery as she walks past him, not seeing him mere inches away. Her despair, a despair he has helped to create, threatens to swallow him so when Jeremy tells him to stay put he agrees.

 _I can't, I can't see her die..._ he watches Bonnie's ex leave the room, knowing that the kid cannot do anything to help her. Despite his refusal he finds himself following, his steps slow and he leans against walls and tables for support until he stumbles onto the drive. When he sees the garage door closing he thinks it is too late. _Carbon monoxide poisoning...tried that five times right? Or six...God Bonnie, you can't do this._

He falls against the garage wall and then down to his knees, the ascendant slipping from his weak grasp. Struggling to breathe he leans against the wall, the garage door to his right and listens to her muffled and heart-rending speech and Jeremy's pleas for her to stop but soon the smell of gas reaches his nose.

She starts to choke.

In a kitchen in 2013 his heart stops. Kai, his life now suspended in the space between one last heartbeat, watches as the blue sky darkens with the eclipse but as his life fades away the darkness does not descend as it should. The world stills, caught in the fragile balance between life and death as Kai Parker takes his last breath.

"I won't die here!" Bonnie suddenly shouts, angry and determined and Kai grins.

 _That's my Bonnie..._ the sky fills with a bright white light, the worlds bleeding together, as Kai gives his last. Jeremy yells desperately and the garage door finally opens. Gas billows out and fresh air pours in. Kai stops breathing with a smile on his face as Bonnie breathes in ragged gulps of air, watching in awe as the entire world flares alive like a dying star...Lying all but dead Kai tastes strange blood on his tongue and with a surprise of a child rudely awoken from a sleep he never thought he would escape he inhales deeply, knowing that somewhere and when Bonnie Bennett is safe.

* * *

In 1903 Bonnie blinks awake as the presence in her mind fades away. Green eyes gaze at him as he holds his breath, his own eyes wide. Tears rim her lashes and over spill as she bites the inside of her trembling mouth, her throat tight with emotion.

"Thank you," she repeats gutturally between kisses, hand against his cheek and he stares at her as she cries. "Thank you." Kai pulls back as he tastes her tears and then draws her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers with a possessive tenderness before moving those lips to her ear.

"It's time to go home Bonnie."


	12. Chapter 12

Rain falls steadily, a downpour that blurs the windowpanes. The sound of the rain makes her almost cry. Prison worlds are _silent_ and that had been one of the most terrible things about her isolation. Kai sometimes annoys her with his constant chattering but she knows the desperation when only the sound of your own voice can stave off insanity. She had recorded hours and hour of herself talking only so she could listen to herself.

Drawing herself from these memories she looks down at Kai. He sleeps beside her, lying on his front. Through the grog of sleep and lingering power still rising and ebbing through her Bonnie feels a flutter of disbelief and then an overpowering need to laugh. She presses her knuckles against her lips, still staring at him.

This is really happening...She has never been one for meaningless flings, she has never been able to let her guard down. There is certainly nothing meaningless about this, though she wishes her feelings were clear as his appears to be. She is starting to trust him but to venture into anything more serious will take time...but if there is anything of virtue about Kai it is his patience. He would wait.

 _But will I?_ Bonnie considers, pulling the blanket over her chest. He is covered from the waist down but she sees a shiver passing over his skin and hovers her hand above his back, sending a warm pulse of heat over him. He sighs in his sleep, settling. A faint red scar mares his bare back, along with another on the back of his thigh, the scar tissue even thicker. She had twisted that knife, made sure he felt it. Bonnie sighs, almost but not quite touching the mark while her own fingers trace over the scar below her breast. He had been regretful about the harm he had caused her from the very beginning but she had been unable to accept or even witness his remorse. Last night had been different. He had not kissed or touched it with reverence as she had thought, that mark on her skin that looks like a perverse kiss. It is just a constant reminder of the hurt he had inflicted, always visible and he hates it. He had called them even but some part of him will never believe it.

 _He can't see what I did to him, these battle wounds, but I don't think he cares in the same way...Do I?_ She had broken up with Jeremy staring at the scar on her chest, an odd pride flicking through her. She had survived, wounds heal and she felt strangely stronger, harder like something that had gone through fire. Inflicting her own harm, stabbing him had felt intensely cathartic at the time but now it just makes her feel sick. He had shared the memory of almost dying to save her life and it felt like the last brick in the wall she had created crumbled under her sadness and painful gratitude. She is not the selfless girl she was but her heart is not as fortified as she thought. Her own feelings for him beyond that realisation is a confused mix of trust and apprehension. He loves her deeply and she holds that knowledge in her hands like something fragile. She could utterly crush him and he knows it.

Sighing she relaxes back again the headboard, her body still thrumming with Expression. Magic usually saps her of strength but she feels invigorated and when you add sex to that...she has used magic before when making love but never anything like this and never with another witch. They had destroyed an entire mansion in the act, ripped apart and joined together this one. He had cast a ward around the room and she had kept Expression contained, the feel of his heart stopping and the world turning inside out still frightening. He had wanted it anyway, begged for it.

"You crazy witch," she whispers affectionately.

"...Rude. You know I can listen to you in my sleep?" comes his muffled reply and he turns his head to face her. He smiles happily, reaching out to hook his arm around her waist. "Waking up with a naked Bonnie Bennett. Those dreams are finally coming true."

Bonnie smiles as she lies down beside him, pulling the covers over their bodies to keep warm. "Not quite. It was summer in those dreams."

He hums in consideration, drawing her closer to him. She touches the silver pendant lying against his chest as she plants soft kisses against his shoulder.

"You always wear this."

"I know. It's funny I never had any sentimental attachments to anything but this I kept. It's a seal of the future coven leader, it was a reminder about why I wanted to get out. Cause you know sometimes it doesn't seem worth it after awhile."

"I know," she replies softly, recalling all of her attempts to stay strong and how nihilism had crept up anyway. She focuses on the pendant, a stamp of the Gemini symbol embossed in the silver. "Now you're the leader was it worth it?"

He is silent and she looks at him. His face is harsh, mouth thin. "You know the answer to that," he whispers and then with a tug pulls the chain from his neck. He offers it to her.

Bonnie lifts her brows. "Me? I'm no leader."

"Are you kidding? If you organise the Bennett line into an actual coven you'd be fucking unstoppable, especially with Expression," he offers it to her again but she stares unsure. Kai's gaze turns serious. "I'm never giving this to anyone else."

"Never?" she takes it from him, feeling oddly shy. "There was never anyone else, before 1994?"

"No. I had girlfriends but that didn't last."

"Shocker," she jokes and he grins, eyes narrowing in mischief. Bonnie gazes at the silver chain and with a push of will it snakes around her neck, the clasp clicking closed. He smiles softly.

"There. Now you're mine."

"Oh, I see," she laughs as he rolls on top of her, fingers lacing through hers. Resting his weight on his elbows he gazes down at her, grinning. Kai, for all his madness, has always had a certain _joie de vivre_ and it radiates from him now. It is infectious. _He's so happy this is happening, to be with me…_

"Are you hungry? Cause I'm starving," he brushes his lips against her mouth and she smiles coyly.

"Hungry huh? You don't have to answer this but was that the first time you've had sex in eighteen years?"

He bursts out laughing. "What do you think? I think you know how well acquainted you get with your own hand when there's no one else," he murmurs into her ear and she blushes but he is not done there. "Do you have any idea how turned on I've been in the months we've been here? I get hard just at the sight of your neck because you're so covered up now. Then in 1994, you were the first girl I saw in _decades_ , I was forced to put off revealing myself for months because I didn't know what I would do when I finally got my hands on you."

Flushing, feeling incredibly aroused, she purses her lips. "So you didn't just want my magic?"

"I wanted to fuck you _senseless_. Mission accomplished?"

Bonnie hums, considering. "No, still some sense in here," she laughs, tapping her temple, and then quickly gasps when he slides down her body, throwing the blankets back. His hands cup her sides, thumbs pressing into the groves of her hips as he settles between her legs. He looks up at her from under his brows, gaze diabolical and Bonnie scrunches the sheet below her in anticipation. He blows warm air against her skin, plants a soft kiss against her thigh and a moan escapes her, heart pounding with want. Kai grins, a flash of teeth, before he suddenly frowns and sits back.

"Actually, I'm gonna make breakfast," he says and suddenly moves off the bed. The whine that Bonnie makes is utterly undignified but she does not care.

"No you asshole!" she throws a pillow at him, which he dodges with a laugh, pulling on his old jeans.

"I need food otherwise I can't concentrate. I'll meet you in the conservatory," he winks as she paddles her heels against the mattress in frustration, hand skirting over her belly. He sees this and narrows his eyes. "Don't touch yourself. Wait."

" _You_ wait," she fires back, half childish retort, half threat but he just gives her a grin and leaves.

* * *

The conservatory, a new extension at the time, is the warmest room in the house. Rain continues to fall, pattering against the panes. Potted ferns and spider plants sit on plinths or hang from baskets, creating a jungle for you to walk through while blotches of pink, white and purple bloom everywhere, a vast array of orchids thriving in the heat. A low pool sits in the centre, lily pads floating on the still dark water. By the French doors leading to the garden a table and chairs sit, now laid down with food and teacups. Kai, still shirtless, pours tea into a china cup as she walks in.

The innocent beaming smile drips off his face as she pads into the humid glass walled room, dressed in nothing but his zip up grey hoodie. The hem reaches her thighs, just about covering her ass as she sits in a white wicker chair across from him. With a wiggle of her fingers a cream and jam covered scone floats to her hand as she crosses her bare legs.

"Our last breakfast?" she asks, nibbling on the cake and Kai blinks in distraction as the tea overflows into the saucer. Bonnie smirks, lifting an eyebrow and he sits back, leaving the teapot to hover in the air.

"Thought I'd do the honours," he smiles, appearing unruffled but he cannot tear his eyes away from her as she licks cream into her mouth with a curl of her tongue. Bonnie scrunches her shoulders, smiling before slotting her free hand between her closed thighs.

"So...you know when we get back this will stop."

His eyes snap up to her face. " _What?_ "

"The breakfasts," she replies, cocking her head innocently. "What did you think I meant?"

His lips purse in a look she has seen many times. Amused at her getting one over on him. She licks her lips, finishing the scone but as she swallows she truly wonders, if they do it make it home, what they will be then. She is a long way from having a relationship with him, not in the normal sense, but never seeing him again? Months ago she would part ways without a word but now the thought of waking up and not seeing him fills her with a laden feeling. Kai gazes at her, his previous amusement giving way to something dark and intense as if he has read her mind. Maybe he has. Bonnie focuses, pulling on her power.

_What kind of life is there for us out there?_

_...does it matter? I don't even know what we are in here..._

His voice in her mind is gentle, hesitant and Bonnie breathes out slowly. He is right, of course but she wishes she had some idea of what to expect. Will her friends still be there? What remains of her family? Do they even think of her now? How will she adapt again when the last time she didn't even have time to? Bonnie looks aside, brushing crumbs from her lap as her throat tightens with grief and then he is on his knees before her. He places the palms of his hands on her thighs.

"I wasn't completely bullshitting you about trying to live in the world again. Being in isolation for so long...it changes your perceptions completely. _I get it_. But that was my extra dose of punishment and it shoudn't have been yours..."

 _But it was, thanks to you_. The words are unsaid and they float into her mind. She does not hate him as she once did but the betrayal still stings, even if the length of his imprisonment dwarfs hers. Bonnie clears her throat, sipping on her tea. "I can't imagine being alone for so long. When I was out I freaked at the smallest things and I was there for nine months."

"Well, my mind ticks differently to yours," he says, pulling back with a soft smirk that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "You'll figure it out, in time and I'll be there...Now come on, I'm starving," he slaps her thigh, leaning back.

She bites her lip, her hands threading through his hair. "Thanks for breakfast...you haven't touched anything."

"It hadn't arrived yet. You didn't eat before you got here, right?" he asks, narrowing his eyes, head cocking. Bonnie's body flushes with heat but she plays along, feeling an undercurrent of bemusement. Of course Kai would involve food.

"Oh…no, I didn't want to ruin my appetite."

"Good." He gives her a swift grin and then rips the zip on the hoodie down, exposing her breasts. Bonnie leans back into the cushions, trapping a gasp in her throat as he hikes up her legs and places them over his shoulders.

"Oh god...Kai you're so ridiculous."

"You love it," is the last thing he says as he plants kisses along her inner thighs, spreading them and Bonnie has the sense to cast a protective ward around the glass room before he enthusiastically buries his face between her legs. Wild laughter bursts from her mouth which is quickly garbled as she gasps, her back arching. He grabs her hips, keeping her steady, otherwise she would just buck onto the floor as her body writhes in pleasure. With every flick and swirl of his tongue she grows ever closer to release, the promise of it imminent. This has always been the surest and quickest way to make her come and he has already perched her on the edge since that morning.

The windows begin to drip, fogging up with condensation and soon her skin is gleaming as the conservatory overheats as she finally screams, body arching off the seat as Kai keeps his hands wrapped around her hips, eyes fixed on hers until a loud series of bangs shatter the air as hairline cracks appear in every window, teetering on the edge of shattering. Kai throws out a hand, stopping the glass from falling as Bonnie's trembling subsides and he kisses the inside of her thigh, rubbing his cheek against her soft skin.

"Sure you don't want to rethink?" he asks as she slithers down onto his lap.

"What?"

"Making you breakfast whenever you like…and brunch, lunch, dinner..." he adds and laughs as she gently pushes his face aside, unable to keep the self satisfied smile off her face as the glass shivers above them. Maybe this would not be so bad...

* * *

Snow melts in slushy piles around the town square, revealing brown earth and grass, ground that has been buried under an unending whiteness for a century. He lifts his face to the sky as the clouds roll back, revealing a patch of blue sky and a beam of sunlight. Bonnie makes a sweeping motion with her hands and the clouds part and drift into wisps, revealing a spotless sky. She closes her eyes, basking for a moment.

"If I did that with traditional magic I'd be on the floor about now, nose bleeding. Expression makes me feel stronger."

"Not frightened of it any more?" he takes her hand, pulling her to him. They are dressed in the modern clothes they arrived in months ago. He had patched the holes and removed the bloodstains with magic. Bonnie's mouth thins, looking down.

"I felt like I had no control before, that it was only used because I had no other option. I guess that's still true but now...now it's all mine," she shudders with relish and he smiles, lifting his hands to her face. Not touching her skin he reaches out for the power within her, detecting it and a sigh of need escapes his lips. Since the loss of his coven members his own magic is weak and the power she has been sharing with him, though beyond anything he has experienced, fades away. Not being able to grasp it for long is an old, hated feeling. It slips from him, leaving him with nothing but an ache for more.

"I wish I could generate it," he says, very gently letting his fingertips trace down her throat. Bonnie gasps but does not pull away. His eyes flick up as he pulls the magic from her. "Does it hurt?"

"Not if I give it to you…" she winces a little and he lowers his hand immediately. Bonnie touches her neck, smiling strangely. "You might want this magic but the price of having it...it's a price of sacrifice, people died so I can use this. I had no choice…" she looks away, face troubled.

"But now it's yours, no matter how you acquired it. You can use this power for whatever you want Bonnie. It's not something to be frightened of," he touches her face again, a caress and she leans into it, taking his other hand.

"Are you sure? I have to stop your heart to get to the other prison world. What if something goes wrong? I did this once with Jeremy and he almost didn't make it."

Kai smirks. "I'm not Jeremy. I might not be as powerful as I was but I rule these worlds, as the leader, and if I go down so do they. They don't want to die. It's mutually beneficial."

"You make the prisons sound sentient."

"They kind of are, at least the magic used to create them. You can do this Bonnie," he assures her and she nods, inhaling a deep breath. She instructs him to lie down on a bench and she gets on her knees beside him.

"I'll do the spell, wait until we cross over and then revive you," she says in a business like tone but her voice shakes. Kai smiles at her and then laughs. Bonnie frowns. "What?"

"Nothing...last time you tried to leave this world you tried to kill me and now it's happening again."

"This is totally different!" she begins angrily, about to rise when he pulls her back down.

"I'm kidding. Don't worry, this is the second time I've willingly died for you, no biggie."

Bonnie's mouth thins and then curls and she bends over his face, pushing his hair back. "You're manipulative even when you don't mean to be."

"Oh I'm totally guilt tripping you," he laughs and then yelps as she yanks his hair a little and then sits back, growing sombre. He studies her face, gaze growing warm and soft. "I'd do this for you a hundred times over. I don't know if you believe that, even now, but it's the truth."

He does not know when exactly he fell so hard but whenever it was he has not stopped and as he stares at her green eyes he knows that there is no bottom, no place to hit and stop. He knows also with a bittersweet pain she is only just toeing the edge of that drop, if at all. He feels light with it but he could drag her down with him, as he has with everything he has ever desired.

He wants her completely and the prospect of getting out, being free and all the trappings that brings scares him more than he will ever admit. Here it is just them, no distractions and no other commitments but in the real world their lives, which have been paused, will start again. He has his coven duties, ones he knows he cannot run from and Bonnie…

"What's the first thing you're gonna do when you get home?" he asks suddenly, as she closes her eyes to begin the spell. She blinks them open.

"Call my mom I guess…"

"I'd call Jo but she threatened to kill me if I contact her again so…" he smiles but his chest feels tight, a confusing mix of anger and sadness. He misses his sister, despite the fact she is probably quite happy for him to rot here. He just wants to know if she is alive, though a part of him know she is. He'd feel her passing, he is sure.

"I can talk to her, if you like?" Bonnie offers and he blinks in surprise. Not many people have offered him help, not unless he manipulated them for it. This is a new feeling to digest. He smiles gently.

"Thanks...okay, 1994 here we come. Again," he squeezes her hands as she nods, closing her eyes and immediately a flood of power rages through him until he stands in the calm middle of the storm, a vortex that could sweep him up and obliterate him. Channelling her magic he feels her attempt to keep in control, to maintain a balance with a power that only requires one thing: sacrifice. Life and death are nothing to this magic, it could sap the life from every tree and crumble ever brick or make the ground burst alive and the skies fill with song. One or the other, a price. As her hands press against his chest Kai opens his eyes and gasps. The air glimmers in the light, streams of magic twisting like currents through water and at the centre is Bonnie. She burns so brightly he can hardly make her out but he can feel her in his mind, a constant presence.

 _Thank you_ , she whispers as a white roaring begins to fill his head, a muffling substance that makes him feel at once dense but strangely hollow. His heart begins to slow and she chants, her head thrown back and her mouth parting in ecstasy. Kai arches, mouth stretching into an ecstatic grin even as his mind begins to dissolve but before that white noise obliterates everything a memory comes back to him, cold and stark.

_...We'll part ways...but not before I remove every memory of me from your mind…_

As the sound of Bonnie's once cold promise fills his head Kai snaps his eyes open and stares at Bonnie, or what is left of her. She wields Expression like a ribbon, casting it out from her in a careful controlled way but now all she is a sensory creature of output and input. It wraps around her shaking body, a golden band and he is suddenly reminded vividly of his tiny sister twirling a ribbon around and around until it had wrapped her up like a snake, until she had been unable to move. He had laughed. Bonnie shudders, her expression now beyond orgasmic, now something primal and terrible. Expression throbs with her erratic heartbeat.

_No, not hers, mine._

Kai watches as the light starts to fade, the pulse emitting from both of them slowing and the white buzzing obliterates all other senses until darkness begins to creep in on the corners of his consciousness. Pain burns through his chest but it is far away, to another person. He hears screaming, a woman, and then darkness covers him utterly and drags him down.

* * *

Heat cocoons her, a light breeze playing over her flushed face. Bonnie grimaces, her eyes screwed shut tight before she snaps them open. A blue sky arcs overhead, not a cloud in sight as the sun begins to rise. She lies on her back, her mind as blank as the sky above and she floats in that empty peace, not knowing who or where she is until she becomes aware of a pain.

Her back feels stiff and as she shifts it flares with pain. Hissing she sits up, rubbing her lower back and looking at her fingers. Nothing, no blood but her back throbs awfully. Lifting a hand to her head she stares at her knees, trying to recall anything when she becomes aware of something to her left.

A young man lies on a bench beside her, one arm flung to the side. His hand lies palm up on the ground, like he had been reaching for her. His eyes are open, staring straight up and Bonnie knows even before she touches him that he is dead. Perturbed, she gets on her knees and moves over to him and with a hesitating movement she settles her hand on his chest.

_Kai. Malachai._

The name appears in her mind, a precursor to a sudden cascade of memories and feelings and Bonnie cries out.

"Kai! Kai!" she shakes him roughly, hands on his chest but he does not stir, his eyes staring blankly. She presses an ear to his chest, hears nothing and cries out again. All thought of magic and where they are forgotten and she tugs him from the bench onto the ground, a part of her clamping down on her panic as an unnatural calm settles.

"Your heart," she mutters and moving into position she begins to compress his chest, the training she had once used as a lifeguard coming flooding back. She counts, her voice growing breathless and ragged as she works until her arms start to shake and her back seizes with even more pain.

 _It's been five minutes_ , a voice says, a glib voice that sounds like Damon and she snarls and begins pounding on Kai's chest until she breaks down, tears streaming down her face. She pats his chest weakly until she is rubbing it gently. Pain lashes through her and then denial and she shakes her head, sniffing. She digs her fingers into the fabric of his coat, hard enough to leave bruises and with a rough voice she chants a spell, pulling on Expression with a startled surprise.

 _How could I forget? Because it wants me to...that's the price…_ She repeats the spell over and over, until her voice grows hoarse and then thins to a rasp. Exhausted and hollow she sits back, hands lying weakly against his chest before she leans over him, tears rimming her eyes.

"Please wake up. You said that you would wake up…" she begs, cupping the side of his face but his eyes are blank, his face still and calm. Bonnie bites the inside of her cheek, nodding as a bell tolls the hour. She has been sitting here for hours. She looks up, sees the trees in vivid green leaf and manages a smile.

"It's spring, 1994. We did it…" her victory is lifeless. She remains staring at nothing until the sky begins to change, from a pale blue to something deeper. She wipes her sleeve over her face, movements sudden and jerky as the bell rings again, and then very gently closes his eyes. As she does a wave of despair overwhelms her. "I hated you for so long, I wanted you to die but now I...I don't know. I don't know what I feel but I want you to wake up. You have to, you said it yourself! You stayed with me for all these months and you could have gone home at any time and now you're dead? No. Wake up Kai! Wake up you bastard!" she screams and punches his chest again before burying her face against his shoulder. A beat resounds in her ear, a steady rhythm and she is shocked motionless until another sound reaches her ears.

"...Why are you beating me up?" his voice, clearly pained, whispers into her hair. Bonnie lifts her head and Kai stares back at her. He winces as she moves. "I think you cracked a rib."

"Kai?"

"Hi," he utters with a weak smile and a laugh escapes her before she bursts into tears.

"You - you were dead. I - I know you said that you can't really die in these prison worlds but - but it's been hours," her voice catches with emotion and he lifts his eyebrows. Since waking he has been still, regarding her carefully but now something enters his eyes, something that makes her stomach tighten. He looks suspicious. He lifts a hand and wipes her cheek gently.

"You cried for me," he sits up and Bonnie leans back as he moves to sit against the bench, still on the ground. He looks around the square, taking in the cars and changed shop fronts and a smile curls over his face. "I never thought I'd be happy to be back here but after all that snow…"

"How do you feel?" she asks, moving closer to him. Kai shrugs.

"I'll heal…" he lifts a hand to his forehead, screwing his eyes up. "My head is buzzing. Bonnie...what have you done to me?" he asks, frowning at her and she shifts.

"What's the last thing you remember?" she asks, her suspicions running wild. Kai narrows his eyes at her, hand pressing against his chest.

"The ballroom and you trying to send me home," he answers at once and Bonnie's heart sinks.

"Nothing else? Nothing afterwards?" He shakes his head and Bonnie grips his arm, unable to stop herself. "You must remember something? Please don't mess with my Kai."

"I'm not messing around. I don't know how we got here. The last thing I remember was fighting you," he answers and Bonnie stiffens. This explains his weariness around her. As the truth of the matter sinks in she feels a deep throb of hurt. He has forgotten what has passed between them, that intimacy and growing trust. Using Expression has taken that time from him, stripped it from his mind like paper. Feeling strangely vulnerable she licks her lips and tries to smile.

"We made up, after the fight…" she pulls him up and makes him sit on the bench beside her. A hiss of pain escapes through his teeth and she winces as he pulls his clothing up. His chest is red raw and she knows in a few hours his skin will be a collection of deep purples and reds. Bonnie whispers an apology but he just lowers his top with a bemused smile.

"At least I know you don't want me to die any more."

"Of course I don't. God, Kai, you really don't remember?" she asks desperately and again he shakes his head, turning to her. Bonnie sighs, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen."

"So you haven't done it on purpose?" he asks, his tone light but his eyes narrow. Bonnie starts to argue but then stops. When she had stopped his heart the power had overwhelmed her but she could recall his mind and the memory that had flashed across it. She had once threatened to take his memory of her, a promise that seems made an age ago, by a different person.

_What if I did? What if I couldn't control myself?_

The idea settles in her mind and takes root, a doubt that he can now read on her face. He nods, smiling humourlessly and Bonnie leans forward quickly.

"I don't know what happened okay? But we made it Kai! We've crossed over," she motions to the square and he nods.

"We just need to find the ascendant for this world."

"It's in the tunnels," she explains, getting to her feet and for the first time since arriving happiness wells up inside her. They are one step closer to getting home. Kai follows at a distance as she begins walking but then she feels his hand on her wrist and stops.

"Let me see your back," he asks, surprising her and then she nods, turning. He rolls her top up and she becomes breathless at the feel of his fingers against her skin. "It's still there," he whispers and a stone drops into her stomach before he continues. "But it looks different, the actual spell is gone, the lettering."

"Are you sure?" hope erupts through her and she grins, hands clasped together.

"I guess we'll only know for sure once we try to use the other ascendant but the binding is definitely broken Bonnie," he pulls her top down and Bonnie spins around, beaming with happiness and before he can react she leans forward and kisses his mouth. Kai blinks, inhaling in surprise and Bonnie pulls back, flushing. He gazes at her open mouthed.

"Is - is this kissing a thing now? Between us?" he looks endearingly bewildered and the pain that Bonnie had felt fades away. He may have no recollection but it's still Kai. She shrugs, turning from him.

"I don't know, it might be. Try _real_ hard to remember cause I can't possibly say," she demurs and begins walking, a grin on her face. Kai lets her get a few paces from him before he spins her around and pulls her into his arms. He captures her mouth, kissing her with a rough need that grows more intense the more he tries to restrain himself. His tongue parts her lips, flicking into her mouth before he kisses her so hard she grows light headed. Gasping for breath she pushes him away, and he staggers, his eyes slow to open. Bonnie sees the way he lingers on the kiss, savouring it before opening his eyes and something inside her flips over in giddiness. She has never been with anyone who regards with with such passion or appetite. Want.

 _I think he'd want me just the same when we're old and grey_. The thought startles Bonnie out of her reverie and she smiles shyly, pushing him a little as he starts to draw her back to him.

"Come on, or don't you want to get home?"

"Maybe I don't…" he mutters but follows, slotting his thumb into the loop of her jeans as he presses her against his side as they walk away from the town square and into the woods. As they do a door swings shut behind them, unnoticed.

* * *

The journey from the town square to the tunnels is longer than it should be, thanks to Kai. Chest still aching, mind a fuzzy white nothing that frustrates him more than he can say but it is the woman beside him that makes him stall. Secrets fill her up, secrets about them and if he could push her against every tree and kiss them free he would.

He does.

"Kai…" Bonnie moans as he kisses her throat, her back against a tree. Fingers threading through his hair she tugs and he straightens. He has no memory of what passed between them after the night in the ballroom but the familiarity with which she touches him tells him enough. They are about to escape and all he wants to do is pull her to the ground and climb on top of her.

"Sorry, I feel like I'm making up for lost time."

"We'll have plenty of that later. I'm not having sex in the woods," she says flatly and laughs at his expression.

"The cave?" he suggests hopefully as she slips away, still laughing. She walks backwards, face playful and then turns on her heel and begins to run. A year ago dread would flood through him at Bonnie running from him, a clear attempt to leave without him but now only a flicker of it upsets him. Smiling he gives chase, following her trail before the caves appear through the trees. He expects to find her already inside but she stands at the entrance, facing the woods.

"Bonnie?" She does not turn, her body stiff but she lifts a hand behind her and he takes it, coming to her side. "What's wrong?"

"Look," she utters, her voice high and he looks through the trees. At first he sees nothing but then his hand tightens around hers as he finally sees.

"That's not possible," he utters as shapes, no more than shadows, shift around the tree line. People. Even as he shakes his head in denial one of the shapes comes closer and very clearly raises a hesitant arm and begins to wave.

"You see them, right?" Bonnie asks, breathless as she lifts her own hand, about to wave back when Kai pulls her arm down.

"Stop," he pulls her around to him, face serious. "We don't know who they are."

"You think it's the Heretics?"

He shakes his head, frowning as the people come closer through the trees. "I can feel when people enter or leave. Those people...they shouldn't be here."

"You got a bad feeling?" she asks and he nods, drawing her with him to the cave. She lingers, curious but he pulls her and the darkness of the tunnels surrounds them. Their voices echo off the stone walls, water dripping into shallow pools, just as he remembers it.

"I was told that there are two prison worlds but that's just the ones that my coven created. They said nothing of yours. These places are created using a spell from your family," Kai explains as they move into the cavern, a beam of light shinning down from the hole on the roof above. The ascendant shines in the circle of light and Kai is quick to pick it up. He sighs. "It works, I can feel it."

"Wait. You think us crossing over here has released others?"

"You said I was dead for hours. The worlds bleed together when that happens. Maybe those holes didn't get patched up."

Bonnie comes to him as they hear the thud of footfalls echoing above. "Who are they? _How_ many?"

He shrugs. "Do you want to wait around and count? All I know is that these places were built for people like me."

"Like you were," she corrects and he gives her a small smile as he lifts the ascendant. They stare up at the circle of light. "You said you don't need a celestial event because you're the leader…"

"That was before. My magic is weak...actually I feel like I've been hollowed out," he frowns, concentrating on what little power he has. He feels like something vast has been removed and made conspicuous by the void now left. Bonnie exhales as voices begin to echo around them, loud voices.

"I'll give you a boost, though I probably shouldn't," she says, using the ascendant to cut her finger to drop blood onto it. She settles it on his palms and he frowns in confusion but then her hands cup under his and at the contact power rushes through him.

"Holy shit," he chokes, laughing at the exquisite magic now running through his veins. Feeling like he is really seeing and hearing for the first time he looks at her and something almost non human looks back at him. She is beautiful drawing on this dark magic but now something beyond a witch. The smile on her face is peaceful, unconcerned but as a man speaks up behind her that smile falters.

"It _is_ you," the man says and Kai looks passed Bonnie at a man standing half in shadow. For a moment he has no idea who it is but then a flicker of recognition rings something in his mind, shaking loose a name. Kai has never meet him face to face but he has seen pictures and heard Damon talk about him, of course.

"Stefan?"

He smiles, rolls his eyes good naturedly as Bonnie spins around. "Not quite...right Bonnie?"

She gasps, her hand gripping Kai's wrist tightly and then she screams. The sound of rage coming out of her mouth makes the hair along his neck stand and he almost steps back but then the man who looks identical to Stefan lifts a hand and all thought leaves Kai's head as Bonnie's scream turns into one of pain.

"Bygones? I don't think so."

Bonnie drops to her knees, clutching her head and Silas takes a step forward. It is as close as he gets. Hand still wrapped around Bonnie's wrist Kai blasts the man back against the cave wall. Silas crumples to the ground, groaning but stares up at Kai with a murderous look before he laughs.

"I can't kill you outright, as the Gemini coven leader your survival also means mine. _But_ ," he draws the word out as he gets to his feet, Kai's hand still outstretched while he helps Bonnie to stand with the other. "But every time you die another hole gets ripped into the walls of these worlds. I was watching you," he explains as Kai frowns.

"I don't know who the hell you are but I'm gonna _really_ enjoy playing in your blood," Kai smiles and means it.

"That's Silas," Bonnie utters with utmost disgust as the man does a little bow at the introduction. "He murdered my father."

"Come on, that was only meant to be temporary."

"Do you see him?" she yells, stepping forward and Kai lets her go. Anyone else he would drag back but he knows she will be okay. She can handle herself but he has her back. He stares at Silas, clearly another witch and a buried feeling starts to awaken, like a poisonous plant starting to unfurl. He looks down, something nudging his foot and sees the arrow he fired so long ago resting in the dirt. He grins and as Silas lifts a hand again Kai flicks his fingers and the arrow thuds into the man's chest.

Silas yells, falling to his knees, as Kai moves to Bonnie's side. She stares unblinkingly down at Silas as he stares at the arrow in his chest. Kai sighs.

"I haven't killed anyone in _such_ a long time, man I forgot how much I missed it," he sighs, feeling giddy. Expression still runs through him and it makes him feel mentally unmoored. While he is practically vibrating with a mad happiness at the prospect of violence Bonnie is dark, an icy hatred on her face.

"I don't want him to die, I want him to be nothing. You were meant to be sucked into oblivion," she directs at Silas, who laughs.

"I was but your boyfriend's death opened up a gateway. At least to this place, another prison but the true door is just within reach," Silas smiles again, looking at the ascendant still in Bonnie's hand. Kai gets down on his hunches, smiling friendlily.

"Oh you think you're getting out? You know Bonnie hated me once too, she tried to leave me behind but we're patching things up, right?" he asks but doesn't wait for her to answer. "You on the other hand won't get the chance."

He flicks his fingers and the arrow head is ripped from the man's chest. Silas yells in pain, doubling over and the first glimmers of unease flash over her face. She leans down, staring Silas in the face.

"I hate you. I hate that you used me, that you controlled me. You killed the people I love and I'm going to make you suffer for that...but you know what's funny? I can't even look Stefan in the face because all I see is you. I'm going home and I'm going to rebuild my life and the next time I see your face I'll smile at it because I'll know it's not yours because you are never moving again."

She leans up and nods at Kai before taking his hand again. Magic flows from her to him, a link and his mind is open to her thoughts.

 _Kill him?_ He asks but she shakes her head.

_Do you remember the spell to create this world? To imprison you?_

_...I never forgot_ , he answers back and then begins to smile slowly as the plan she has in mind forms in his. It is terrible but Kai throws himself into it with relish. He had thought himself incapable of harming others but now he sees how wrong he is. The people he loves he would die for, others he would torture for years if they threatened those loved ones. It is a new realisation, one he has no time to inspect, all he can do is live in the moment.

Silas still on his knees, unable to move he watches with dawning horror as Kai begins to chant the spell his father had once spat out now so many years ago. The ascendant is balanced between their hands as Bonnie uses Expression to construct a prison around the witch.

"Prison worlds are on a daily loop, reset each day but I think that's too long. You...you get a heartbeat," Bonnie whispers as the eclipse begins to occur and the cavern darkens. Drawing on as much power as he can handle Kai finishes the spell, the most powerful he has ever cast and Silas looks up as the moon covers the sun, perfectly framed in the hole above. He stops moving, eyes trapped above as the cave starts to lighten again, the eclipse starting to end. Kai knows that the man still sees the total eclipse, his existence trapped in that precise moment forever. He stops chanting, smiling even as sweat rolls down his face and he sways on his feet.

"I always knew we'd make an awesome team," he utters as she moves back to the circle of light, her face now calm again. As he comes to her she starts to frown, reaching for him.

"Are you okay?"

"I feel great...but my head," he rubs at his hair, that buzzing noise starting again and a swoop of fear settles on him. He grips Bonnie's hand. "Every time I use this, every time I do something powerful, it takes a piece of my mind with it."

Bonnie nods sadly. "You can't use it any more Kai," she draws her hand away but he grabs it before he can stop himself.

"It's okay. I - I'm not going to be trapping immortals in an endless hell from now on, not unless one pisses me off. I can handle it Bonnie," he says, not hearing how desperate he sounds but her eyes gleam with pity.

"Kai the more I give you the more you'll forget. Do you understand? There might come a day when you won't know who I am."

Panic spikes through him but he ignores it, pushing it away. He pulls Bonnie to him with a smile. "It's because I can't generate it myself. Once I can…"

"No. You don't know the cost! He ripped me apart to give me this power," she points at Silas and Kai frowns. Is he smiling? Suppressing a shudder Kai focus on Bonnie. She drops the ascendant and cups his face. "Promise me you won't pursue this. It's not worth the price."

Kai stares at her intensely. He can feel the power draining from him already. His mother used to call him a leaky bucket, nothing stays inside him, even love. _That's why you have to pretend..._ He slaps her voice away and nods, trying to smile. "I promise...but one last time because I wanna go home, with you, right now."

Bonnie smiles and kisses his mouth. If he had known this would be the last kiss they would share for years he would have pulled her into his arms and made it count but four years from now he does not even remember. So with a growing dark desire that he now suppresses he smiles at Bonnie Bennett, reminding himself of what he has.

"So...am I your boyfriend then?"

"What?" she picks up the relic, dusting it off.

"Well I wanna know, to be clear," he pulls her against him as the sun shines fully down on them, the moon sailing away. She will have to use Expression now. Bonnie hums, smiling but then her eyes fall on Silas and she flinches.

"We'll have this conversation on the other side. He's creeping me out...plus there are other people here Kai."

"Right. Do you feel guilty for leaving them? I feel _something_ ," he admits and Bonnie shrugs.

"If he's right all prison worlds have gaps in them now, they can cross over. Now they won't be alone," she adds more softly and Kai nods. He places his hands under hers as she closes her eyes, inhales and begins to recite the spell. He holds his breath, waiting for her to scream and double over in pain but she does not. She smiles as a beam if bright white light settles around them and with it a surge of magic erupts between them and Kai, knowing that she will never share this with him again, takes it from her, reciting the spell.

Bonnie's eyes snap open as soon as he begins siphoning her and he knows immediately that something is wrong but it is too late. The light that surrounds them increases, blasting through his head and that terrible noise that wiped his mind of this magic now obliterated and he is left drifting in a bright blank sea. Bonnie mouths his name but then suddenly she is ripped from his hands. He has one lasting impression of her eyes widening in surprise, her mouth parting in shock before the light winks out and he lands hard on cold ground. Before his mind slips away he sees a cold rippling sea, a misty horizon and hears the cry of seagulls before he tips over the edge of the harbour and falls into the sea.

The same harbour that a century ago the Gemini coven cast a spell to entrap a group of heretics...

* * *

_Portland, Oregon. 2013_

Jo Saltzman watches as her husband settles their newborns down to sleep before heading out for some air. The last few months have been hell, dealing with the heretics and her old coven, who she thinks has probably caused her more problems than the vampire-witches.

"Just because they're twins doesn't mean you own them. Assholes," she wraps her cardigan around herself as she moves into the trees. Winter is close, mist hovering through the trees but it is not the cold that makes her shiver. It had been a misty day when she had tricked Kai and their family had imprisoned him.

Kai...she tries to push his face from her mind and she has had many years of practise but his voice is another matter. The last time he had seen him he had taken her magic because he wanted the chance to live a life he never had the chance to before. Pity had threatened to drown her but through that something cold had cut. He frightens her, no matter how toughened the years have made her. She fears him...but at least he is alive.

 _I left him to rot again_... _with Bonnie._

It is awful but it helps her sleep at night to imagine that Kai has killed her, that she is not suffering for trying to leave him behind. She knows Bonnie's friends believe she is dead but she suspects there must be a part of wishful thinking of their part too. They have no way of knowing the truth, not any more.

Jo looks back at the mansion, one that she had sworn never to return to and sighs. It still makes her feel sick, she has spent a night here to visit her father but she can still see the blood on the walls and hear the screams of her brothers and sisters. How her father can stay there after all these years is a mystery.

 _Is it? He didn't lose his children that night dummy, he lost members and members can be replaced_. This voice, so like Kai, makes her face scrunch up in dismay. Her father wants the twins to join the coven, as twins they would naturally be next in line but she will never agree. He can find some other twins...

"As long as Kai stays in the prison world we could effectively have a leader forever. No need for any replacements…" she says aloud, something that she had told her father and he had reluctantly agreed. Keeping her brother in 1903 had been a mutual agreement between the coven district leaders but she knows the real reason. They fear him a much as she does, likely even more.

"Never really gave him a chance," she hums, breaking off a leaf and then freezes when she hears something moving ahead. Jo looks back at the house but it is obscured by trees. As the noise grows louder she speaks. "Hello? Is someone there?"

The person stops and then turns and all the air in Jo's lungs escapes. Bonnie Bennett stares at her as if seeing a ghost.

"...Jo?"

"You...you got out?" Jo gasps, moving forward. She touches Bonnie's arms. "We all thought you were dead."

"I - I'm alive, I think," she laughs, a slightly mad sound. "What year is this?"

"It's 2013, 31st of October."

"Halloween?" Bonnie asks and then laughs again as Jo nods. Despair laces through that laugh and Jo pulls Bonnie into her arms without thinking about it.

"What happened? Where's Kai?"

Bonnie pulls back, her eyes wide and lost. "I - I can't remember. I can't remember," she repeats, starting to panic and Jo makes soothing noises, ushering them towards the house.

"It's okay, we'll figure it out. Come on, I'll make you something to eat."

"I have to find Kai. He - he has to be here."

The concern in Bonnie's voice makes Jo stop and she frowns. "Maybe he didn't get out. That's a good thing….right?"

"No! No, I - god - I can't remember but I just feel...I feel so..." Bonnie wraps her arms around her middle, looking even more miserable. Jo speaks softly, leaning down.

"What?"

"I think I love him," she utters, looking just as shocked as Jo. Eyes haunted and achingly lost Jo takes her arm and guides her towards the mansion and Bonnie follows, her arms still crossed protectively around her middle. "I don't think I ever told him…"

 _And now you never will_ , Jo thinks but keeps silent. As the house comes into view Bonnie stiffens but after some urging she walks through the door. Jo looks at the mist, half expecting to see her brother come strolling out with that grin on his face but the swirling whiteness offers nothing and with a laden feeling she closes the door.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_And that's the end of the 1903 portion of this story. The remainder will take place in 2017. Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, got a little stuck and lost motivation._

_I'll try to update again soon :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_2017_

Abby watches the girls warily as they help Kai prepare dinner. The picnic had been cut short, the ride on the bus out of town quicker than usual as all the lights had stayed a steady green. Usually they cannot wait to get out of the house and amongst people. Her house is small and cramped, the barn outside filled with carpentry equipment and her easels. It has never been a place for children but it is isolated.

But he found them…Abby eyes Bonnie, who sleeps under a blanket on the couch before sitting at the dining table. Her daughter had told her little of Malachai Parker and when she did it was usually in a burst of repressed feelings. The man had hurt Bonnie and she hated him for it but that had changed. Whatever happened between them in the 1903 prison world Bonnie Bennett left that hate behind and a fragile love had taken its place. None of this she openly shares with her mother but Abby could see it in the longing looks and half sighs Bonnie issued when looking at her children.

_They have his smile…_

"Do you want to see our pantry?" Lia asks Kai, looking up into his happy face. He nods and they take his hands and pull him from the kitchen and into the cramped cupboard. At the contact Abby stiffens but nothing happens. The pantry was once used for vegetables, tins and preserves but now with four witches in the house it stores herbs, ointments and potions. Her equally tiny conservatory glints with crystals recharging in the sun. It makes her ache. She is a witch again but her full ability is now reduced to a trickle.

"You're creating spells?" Kai asks, moving a sprig of dried vervain hanging from a hook out of his face as the girls show him the little bottles of rainwater they have collected, the necks ringed with ribbon.

"These are for the garden, because sometimes it doesn't rain for days and days," Ames explains as Lia pushes a small notebook into his hands. Elsa from _Frozen_ smirks up from the cover and he looks bemused before opening it. The handwriting is painstakingly neat as possible, though littered with spelling errors. The small spellbook is crammed with the girls experiments, wishes and stories.

Kai looks up at Abby, clearly impressed. "They create their own?"

"We taught them the basics first, the rules and responsibilities. The last year they've just flown ahead." she smiles down at her granddaughters, gaze losing focus and then she clears her throat, leaning off the doorway.

"They share this between them?" he asks, his tone disapproving.

"Why shouldn't they?"

"Nothing, I just…" he trails off, shaking his head, looking at the little pictures and doodles filling the margins. They move as he passes his fingers over them. "In my coven, the twins share a book until they're twenty two. Then…"

"I know the rules about merging but that doesn't apply to them. They're Bennett witches," she says quietly as the girls search through a box of feathers, not listening to them. Kai moves closer to her, lowering the spellbook.

"You don't trust me. I get it, you just met me," he smiles at her, a charming smile and Abby narrows her eyes because she has seen it before.

"You don't remember me do you?" she asks, straightening and his eyes widen in surprise. "It was at your mother's funeral, 1992. I went with my mom, who was close to your coven."

"Unfortunately," he adds in a drawling tone, looking at the notebook to avoid her eyes. She sees something like mortification before he looks down. Abby moves close and pulls the book from his hands, making him look at her.

"My mother told me that your family were eccentric but I never thought I'd watch their eldest child laugh hysterically at his mother's funeral," she can still hear the burst of laughter breaking into the quiet drone of the priest and then the deeper silence that followed, the shock of it as he clearly could not control himself. His father had stared straight ahead, pretending that nothing was happening until Josette had to drag Kai from the chapel. They could still hear him outside.

Kai, over two decades later, has the capacity to look ashamed. "It wasn't planned, I was as surprised as everyone there," he looks down at the girls and draws Abby back into the kitchen, keeping his voice down. "Look I'm sure Bonnie has told you what I was and I'm not telling you any different. I was a psychopath, had been since I was child... _but not any more_ ," he stresses, eyes intense on hers.

"That's not something that can be cured."

"Neither is vampirism yet here you are, your witchy woo back on tap. Magic, despite all our tampering and assumptions, is still something we're stumbling around in the dark with. Who knows what else it can do?"

He smiles and her stomach tightens. _He thinks I took the cure Bonnie offered me but I didn't. I liked what I was..._ Abby keeps her face impassive and while her magic is weak keeping a stoic, resting bitch face is a Bennett staple.

Kai narrows his eyes and then leans back, satisfied. He goes back to the stove, checking on the pans as Abby walks back to the pantry and watches the girls whispering excitedly, clearly talking about Kai and their mother. They will outgrow the little space soon...Abby looks over at her sleeping daughter and feels a pang of love and fear.

The refuge that she has provided them is no longer enough. Can she hand that over to the man who does not remember shaking her hand at a funeral, taking a tiny amount of her magic, leaving her hand tingling. He had laughed in apology as she moved into the chapel, throwing a confused look over her shoulder at him.

" _Static. You wearing polyester?"_

She pushes his playful face from her mind but it is hard when it smiles at her from across the kitchen, now grown into a man with a heart. _Bonnie please don't be wrong about him, please..._

* * *

Dinner plates lay empty and in some cases licked clean as they tackle the peach cobbler. Noises of surprised delight and satisfied scraping of spoons play amongst the chatter. Kai had gone all out, wanting to impress them. Bonnie has missed his cooking and he clearly loves how much they have enjoyed his efforts. _Show off_. Usually the girls have to be encouraged to eat but Bonnie thinks if a plate of steaming sprouts were before them they would eat every one because he cooked them. Bonnie licks her spoon, catching his eye. They burn oddly, half aroused, half reproachful.

_What is going on?_

"You're the leader of your coven?" Ames asks suddenly as Kai drinks pineapple juice. Lia stares expectantly, spoon halfway to her mouth.

"I, uh, I don't know," he looks at Bonnie, perplexed and she nods. Kai's shoulders slump a little as the girls gasp, impressed.

"Mommy isn't even a proper witch any more," Lia says with disappointment and Bonnie lifts an eyebrow and gives her daughter a pointed look as the peach slice on Lia's spoon wobbles off as she tries to eat it, avoiding her attempts to slurp it out of the air. "Mommy!" her amused whine breaks into their laughter.

Bonnie winks, making it fall back into the bowl and she looks over to Kai, who keeps her gaze for a moment before bending down to whisper something to the girls. Earlier she had slept and showered, changed into a pair of shorts and vest as he prepared dinner and he had hardly said a word. A silent Kai is either a very good thing or a very bad thing and in this case she is going for the latter.

He seems almost….petulant? Yes that was it. What had happened in the span of a few hours? _Maybe he is lying_ , _maybe he does remember what happened_ , a thought whispers and Bonnie wants to ignore it but cannot. She had lied to him earlier, she does have her memory of their escape from the prison world, though the full extent of it had only been revealed to her when the twins had been born. Expression had ripped through their minds as easily as it had ripped through the walls keeping them all contained. If he does remember he is keeping a tight lid on the hurt she still recalls clearly.

 _He took Expression from me, he was desperate for it and I pushed him away._ She blamed the power for separating them but the possibility that it had been her fault had shifted to doubt and then acceptance. The guilt afterwards had been intense, wondering if she had left him in the prison world, which soon formed into a certainty when she finally got her memories back. No locator spell could find him and so she must have trapped him.. _.with Silas._ That possibility had given her nightmares and in the dark hours of the night a voice would whisper that maybe it hadn't been Silas she trapped in an eternal moment but _Kai_.

 _They're both masters of illusion, how would I know?_ Bonnie bats this old fear away and brings herself to the present. Kai is showing the girls her cell phone, keeping his voice low but as Bonnie clears the cutlery she overhears.

"Who is this?" he asks, showing them a picture she can't see from the glare of the lights.

"That's uncle Jaime."

"Oh thank god."

His relief is palpable and as Bonnie realizes why he has been so surely she bursts into laughter. "Wow, I see."

"What?" he fires back, in his usual playful tone.

"Nothing, just something to discuss later,"

Bonnie rinses off the plates as her mother ushers the children in front of the television set before their bath. Kai moves behind her, gripping the sink either side of her hips as cheery music drifts from the living room. _The Great British Bake Off_. The girls are _obsessed_.

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"I don't...not really," she looks up, the dark window casting their reflections. Kai leans closer, the buckle of his belt digging into her lower back. The plate in Bonnie's soapy hands slips, floating into the air and with a flick of his fingers the dishwasher opens and the plates, cups and cutlery slide in neatly. Bonnie remains still as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest and she lets her eyes fall closed. It has felt like two weeks for him but it's been four years for her. His touch is electric.

"I'm not expecting us to start off where we left off, mainly because I can't remember what that was," he whispers into her ear, and she keeps her eyes closed. One of his thumbs hooks into the hem of her shorts, other fingers splayed out over the denim. "But what I do remember...that was pretty good."

"It was...but that was then. Feelings change, yours could if..." she hesitates, trailing off. She opens her eyes and catches his intense, dark eyes in the window. He smiles thinly.

"If what? I know you know more than you're letting on. Something bad happened, didn't it?"

"I don't remember," she replies smoothly, drying her hands and she catches his knowing smirk in the dark glass before turning. He makes some space for her but keeps his hands on the sink. Caught between his arms she gazes up at him, heart beating fast. "We got out, that was the most important thing. Now they are," she stresses, inclining her head towards the living room and spots the girls spying on them from the doorway. Bonnie clears her throat, pushing him away with a bright smile.

"Hey babies!"

Caught in the act the twins rush forward, crowding around him. "Come watch this Kai!" They take his hands and he has no choice but to follow them. He grins at Bonnie over his shoulder and his delight is genuine. Bonnie sighs, feeling the weight of a future dread. She should not have agreed for him to stay, he has already started to take root and the process to remove him, to go back to what they were, will be nothing but painful.

 _Can I do this? Can I risk them around him?_ Bonnie watches Kai sitting crossed legged with the girls, engrossed in the cooking programme. They press against his sides contently, pointing at a collapsing pudding and laughing.

 _If he knew what they are capable of.._.unbidden the image of him tearing the power from her as they finally used the ascendant to leave, his face blank and frightening, a man without control or cares. He can never know what they created with that power…

"Mommy! You're missing it!" Ames shouts and Bonnie jerks, pulled from her thoughts. She smiles and gets on her knees, drawing Lia to her, while Ames cuddles closer to Kai. He looks over at her, expression slightly awed.

"This is the best television program ever."

Bonnie snorts and turns to catch her mother's eye, who has finished running the girl's bath. Abby has been silent since returning with the girls but the wary look on her face makes that heavy feeling return. As the credits roll she claps her hands.

"Come on, bath time!"

Wails of grief fill the air but soon they usher the girls upstairs. They look at Kai through the railings, as if expecting him to disappear. He smiles, hands in his pockets as they run out of sight. Once gone his eyes snap to Bonnie.

"They know who I am Bon."

She thinks about denying it, wants to but she sighs. "I know. They wanted their father and he arrived," she looks at him tiredly. "This doesn't change things. You're the leader of the coven that wants them, I can't have you in my life."

Kai walks up to her, frowning heavily. "The coven does what I say. If I told them to jump off a cliff they'd do it," he says this with a smile and it is awful.

A crackle of fear flashes through her because he is deadly serious. "You're not going to kill anyone."

"For _them_ I think you'd draw an exception. You think I pose a danger because I'm the leader," he shakes his head, leaning closer. "It's because I am that they'll be safe. The coven does not come first, do you understand? No one fucks with me, _especially_ not them."

His voice is a growl and it makes the hair on the nape of her neck stand. He flashes her a grin, his murderous intent gone in an instant and then laughs when he hears the girls singing and blowing bubbles. He sits on the couch as Bonnie walks slowly up the stairs, uncertainty weighing her steps.

* * *

"The moon, mommy," Ames points at the nightlight, which is shaped like a crescent moon. It has a crack running through it. Bonnie places a hand to her forehead.

"I forgot to get a new one."

"But it keeps the bad people away," Lia says, looking concerned. She and her twin sit up in bed as Kai leans against the doorframe. They are usually asleep by now but his presence makes sleep impossible. She had ordered him below but he seems unable to stay away. Bonnie points at the full moon through the window.

"She'll keep you safe."

"Nah-ah, she looks after the wolves, you said."

"She looks after little girls too," Bonnie says encouragingly but they are not pursued. Kai speaks up behind her.

"The moon is pretty busy tonight," he says and Bonnie glares at him. "Maybe she needs a rest too. If only I had a jar…" he sighs, looking sad and the girls gasp and as expected jump out of their beds.

"We know! We can get a jar," they run out of the room and Kai grins. Bonnie shakes her head with a tired chuckle.

"They'll never get to bed now. Do _not_ pick any jam jars girls!" she yells.

"Oh okay! We gotta find something else Lia."

The girls giggle and scream which is followed by a clattering sound and Bonnie can just picture all the dried pasta spilling over the kitchen floor. Then they hear the thuds of their steps on the stairs, coming closer. Breathless, over excited they burst back in and present a large empty glass jar to Kai. He takes it and the lid with solemn formality before beaming.

"Well done! Now you gotta be in bed for this to work. Go on," he urges and they do it, giggling and out of breath they bounce onto their beds and pull the covers back. Once flat under the blankets, clutching their teddies, they watch Kai excitedly.

Bonnie, cluing in on what he plans to do, speaks quietly. "Babies you have to close your eyes."

"But mommy!"

"No she's right. You have to pretend that you're asleep otherwise it won't work," Kai says, smiling at Bonnie and the girls close their eyes.

"No peeking!" Bonnie orders and with some impatient wiggling they squeeze their eyes shut. Bonnie moves to Kai as he looks up at the moon and then down at her.

"You too, it won't work otherwise. Close your eyes," he whispers and with a coy smile Bonnie does it. The after image of the moon and Kai's silhouette flash across her closed lids and then a warm glow starts to permeate that darkness. She hears the spinning of the lid and opens her eyes.

A fat golden moon hangs suspended in the pasta jar, floating amongst stars that glitter and move slowly like dust caught in a beam. It is almost a perfect representation, just a little too magical to be real. She looks at the sky and where the moon once was is just starry skies. His illusion is total. Tiny gasps puncture the air as the girls open their eyes and they are too awe struck to move. Kai presses a finger to his lips and places the jar beside the broken nightlight. The soft golden moon bobs to the top of the jar before slowly settling. It is beautiful.

Bonnie kisses the girls goodnight, whispering her love and taking Kai's hand she pulls him from the room as the twins fall asleep, unable to continue gazing at the new nightlight as much as they would love to. Keeping the door slightly ajar she turns to Kai with a soft smile and they share a giggle.

"That was very sweet."

"I just wanted to show off," he shrugs.

"Oh I _know_ , can't help yourself," Bonnie smirks as he draws her away from the door and towards her room. Abby still watches TV downstairs, the sound down low. She points at a door down the hall. "You can sleep in Jaime's old room."

Kai does not nod or speak and Bonnie licks her lips, chest starting to rise and fall faster. His eyes rove around her face slowly, lingering on her lips before looking at her chest. In the light the pendant she wears flashes silver. His fingertip brush against it.

"I wondered where this went."

Bonnie flushes. He had given her the chain in the prison world and she has been wearing it ever since. She had almost taken it off once Jo revealed that basically giving it to her was akin to a marriage proposal. Bonnie touches the clasp. "Do you want it back? I know it's important to you, I -"

He leans down and kisses her silent. They move back, passing into Bonnie's bedroom and with a flick of her hand the door closes behind them. The kiss is soft and slow but she presses against him, wanting to feel more. She threads her fingers through his hair and parts his mouth with her tongue. Kai makes a low sound in his throat, his hands rubbing at her waist before she gently bangs into the desk. They break apart, inhaling deeply.

"There isn't anyone else?" he asks, eyes intense on hers.

Bonnie starts to shake her head but then changes her mind. She tilts her head. "What if there was? It's been four years."

"I know but I just need to know," his eyes flick to her lips and linger there.

"It's been years Kai, I'm not a nun...You're the jealous type?"

"Apparently. Though I didn't have a problem with Jeremy. He risked his life to rescue you too."

"We weren't really a thing at that point," she explains, feeling a small throb at the name. Jeremy is now teaching art in Denver. She has not seen him for three years...hasn't really seen anyone from her old life.

"I said I'm not asking to move in Bonnie but my feelings haven't changed. There's no one else but you," he tells her sincerely, hands cupping her face and Bonnie smiles. Imprisoned together she had been so confused about what she felt for him, largely ignoring those that she did understand until it was too late. His feelings she could accept more easily.

_I love him…but I love them more._

Bonnie leans back a little, her smile fading. "I believe you, I do but I still think you being around them is dangerous," she says and then places her fingers over his mouth. "Let me finish. I know you'll protect them with your life and _that's_ the problem Kai. They're your children, they're part of the Gemini coven."

His eyes burn with desperation. "If I die so will they."

She nods. "If someone tried to kill you, they will pay the price along with everyone linked to you. You have enemies."

Kai pulls her to him, face harsh. "I won't put them in any danger. I'm not looking for trouble or a fight. My coven obviously depends on my survival and I haven't met enough people to piss them off enough to kill me. "

"There's still time, it's only been two weeks," she replies dryly but he does not smile. Bonnie sighs. "You could get sick, get hit by a bus and I don't know what else. I'm so nervous and angry because of this stupid rule. You - you have to protect yourself."

Kai rubs at his eyes tiredly. "I see why my father was such a paranoid freak. He didn't go anywhere without a protection racket of witches. You probably wish I never woke up," he says, lowering his hands down her arms.

"I thought you were still in the prison world, or what was left of it. Your coven wanted you to stay there because they knew you could never die. They were protecting themselves."

Kai narrows his eyes, jaw clenching. "Did you go back?"

Bonnie inhales, moving back a little. "I - I couldn't. The ascendant was taken from the Heretics and was in the keeping of your father. A lot of members died in the attempt, which you felt. He refused to give it to me or let me use it. I had the twins to think about," she adds as his face grows angry but he nods.

"I get it. This is why you've been so cagey, the looks of guilt."

Bonnie swallows. Half the reason, the other because she has convinced herself that she trapped him there. She grips his arms, staring intently into his burning eyes and the truth cannot be contained.

"I thought it was my fault. I lost you but I didn't know where you were. I was pregnant, no memory of what happened but I did look for you here, in this world. You said you've been here the whole time but I did locating spell after spell and never found you. Someone must have preformed layer upon layer of cloaking spells to keep you hidden."

Kai nods, his anger cooling but he still looks upset. Bonnie pulls him to sit on her bed, hand clasping his. He turns to her and gives a weak smile. "It must have been my coven, cloaking is our signature. They kept me isolated and safe until the girls woke me up," he stares at the door, conflicted. "I don't want anything to happen to them but what do I do? Send myself back to a prison world?"

"No but you're going to have to implement measures. Your father made you and your family live out in the middle of nowhere, home schooled and kept you hidden. I - I don't want that for the girls but until we find a way to solve this you have to hide."

"But not with you?" he looks around the small room, gaze fierce. "I can keep us safe Bonnie and that is not here. I found you, others will too."

"Then where?"

"I'm the coven leader and every coven has a seat of power. I have one and it answers to no one but me. If we want to be safe and solve this then we should go to the island."

"The Lighthouse?" she asks and Kai narrows his eyes, smiling.

"Right...so do you agree?"

Bonnie knows that living with her mother was never going to last, the house too small and the girls growing too big and more powerful by the day. To live in a place that fosters magic, that can contain it?

"...I need to speak to the girls, to my mom but whatever we decide it will have to wait until after the 31st."

"Their birthday," he answers softly and looks at her curiously. "You haven't really said anything about being pregnant, the birth. Tell me?" he looks back at the bed and without warning hooks his arm around her waist and tugs them both back until the pillows are at their backs. Bonnie laughs quietly, gripping his arm and he does not let go.

"The pregnancy? It was tough," she admits and Kai nods.

"Carrying siphoners is dangerous."

"Did your mom have trouble?"

He hesitates and then shakes his head. "I didn't manifest until I was three. Which is lucky because I probably would have killed Jo in the womb and then my mom for good measure," he says this dryly but his eyes are oddly empty. He hardly mentions his mother, who she knows died when he and Jo were twenty.

"What happened to your mom?"

"...She got sick and died. It happened quick," he shrugs and then shakes his head. "She was quiet my mom, small and gentle. People thought she was a mouse but she was harder than my dad in a way, like there was a sliver of ice running up her back. I think she resented having so many kids when I turned out to be a disappointment."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie utters softly, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand and Kai blinks and smiles, as if waking from a dream.

"It's old news. What happened to you? Did they manifest after they were born?"

Bonnie knows he is avoiding something painful but she lets it go. "No they began siphoning during the third trimester. I almost died…" she remembers the slow absorption of magic, the weakness and fatigue that followed and healers that visited every week. No one could help her until Beau.

"I think the girl knew that if they kept going none of us were going to make it but then I had help and it stopped."

"From who?"

Bonnie stares at him in the soft lamplight, licks her lips and decides to tell him the truth. "I needed help from someone who knew about siphoners, who was one."

"The Heretics?" he asks incredulously and Bonnie nods.

"I thought they meant to kill me but they just wanted to help the girls. They want to protect siphoners, looking all over the world for them, to join their coven...they suppressed the girls' ability and mine until they were born."

Kai frowns in disbelief. "They saved you?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but it's true. They treated me better than your crazy coven that's for sure. I think they felt bad about making me the ascendant," she shakes her head, thinking back and she wants to tell him everything but that would mean revealing the truth about the girls.

"So you moved around until a year ago, when the house burned down and you went to live here."

"Pretty much yeah," the lie is easy but it feels like needles are pricking her. While pregnant the twins siphoning powers had been suppressed and Bonnie had thought the rest of her time would go smoother. She had been utterly unprepared for what happened next.

"So the heretics protect the girls because they're siphoners and my coven is after them for the same reason?" She nods and Kai shakes his head. "That's not how it works Bonnie. My coven pretends that people like me don't exist until they become a problem. They never pursue them, especially not children. So my coven deems them a problem. Why?"

Bonnie clears her throat, unable to look at him. She places a hand on her stomach, memories forming words that want to be free. "Ames and Lia...they're different but what makes them different makes them dangerous too."

"That's why you tell them not to touch each other?" he asks and when Bonnie nods his nostrils flare. "I was told the same thing, couldn't touch my siblings because I might kill them. The older I got I just did it out of spite."

Bonnie moves closer to him, shaking her head at his anger. "No, not like that. I mean at first I thought that was the risk but they seem to know when to stop. This - this is different."

"What is?" he urges her but she remains silent, unable to get the truth out. She does trust Kai but the man hungry for Expression? She remembers how she had felt channelling it, the complete submerging and exhilaration. She had cared for nothing, just the constant stream of power. How can she judge him?

"Seven months into my pregnancy their ability to siphon was suppressed, along with my magic but then something changed. They have this other inherent ability that nothing can remove, this power that only manifests when they touch. My magic was gone and so they used the only other source they had."

"What?"

"You don't remember but - but I do. We conceived the twins using old, forbidden magic, magic that very few possess but my little girls do. I feel like we cursed them," she whispers, throat tight and Kai pulls her closer, frowning heavily.

"Dark magic?"

"Expression. When they touch they can do anything they want, _anything_ and that it why they are hunted. The last three months of my pregnancy I was constantly tapped into that power because they were. I - I nearly lost my mind."

She exhales a shaky breath and looks at him with a desperate hope. As expected he stares at her with reproach.

"This is why you didn't want to tell me? You think I'd take their power? You did tell me that when I first got here but I thought you were being over protective. Jesus, are you serious?" Disgusted he sits up, getting on his knees and Bonnie grabs his arm, stopping him.

"I'm sorry but you don't remember! You don't remember how completely consuming that magic is and how much you wanted it. You pretended like it was fine when I wouldn't tell you how to generate it yourself, that you would stop, but you took it from me anyway. That magic, it strips you of your will and any rational thought vanishes. You're just impulse and want, you're not even human any more. Why do you think you have no memory? It was the price of Expression."

Kai grinds his teeth through her speech but now he relaxes, though his eyes glint strangely. "I spent all that time with you in the prison world when I could have left. Do you really think I'm so selfish? So unrestrained? They're _mine_. I'd never do anything to harm them," he cups her face roughly, breathing heavily and she stares intensely at him.

"I'd create a prison world around you if you did...but they'd probably just break you out," she adds, trying to lower the tension. The corner of his lips curl a little and his eyes flick down to her mouth. Seconds flow by, thick and tense and then they move as one, their lips clashing together roughly. Bonnie grips his shoulders as his arms circle her waist, pulling her against his chest. They kiss with a hungry passion, anger and something desperate feeding it before he pushes her down.

"I can't believe I don't remember having sex with you. You realise I still feel like a two decade long celibate?" he moans against her cheek, his hand cupping her breast, squeezing and Bonnie groans. She captures his mouth and kisses him deeply. He might not remember but it's been years since she felt his weight on top of her, the feel of his fingers skimming over her skin. Unbidden the dreams - _visions_ \- that they used to share appear in her mind and she laughs.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll tell you in the morning, if you don't guess," she answers, her smile knowing and playful. Kai makes a growling noise and kisses her hard on the mouth before he begins trailing his lips down her neck, licking and biting and she bucks below him, grinding against his groin. He is hard and she wants to be taken now, no gentle love making as she had imagined so often. Maybe the anger from earlier lingers but when he rips her vest over her head, exposing her breasts, Bonnie writhes with a white hot lust. His lips suck at her breast, tonguing her nipple while his hand slips into her shorts, fingertips brushing over the wet fabric with too gentle a touch.

"Kai!"

He laughs, looking up at her and then kisses her again. His fingers press down and her hips jerk, pleasure spiking through her stomach. He begins rubbing, the fabric of her underwear still between them but it feels so good she does not care. He pulls back and stares into her eyes, watching her every moan and lip bite until she starts gasping for air, trying to keep quiet.

"Cloak the room," she begs and he smiles. A strange muffled sensation descends over her ears and she knows any noise they make is just heard by them. She begins to moan loudly, her neck arching as he rubs faster and faster, her release moments away but then he pushes her knickers aside and sinks two fingers into her wet heat. Bonnie gives a strangled yell as his thumb continues circling and his fingers curl inside her, summoning her climax. Waves of pleasure pass through her as she arches and he buries his face against her throat, working her to completion.

A knock sounds at the door as Bonnie shakes and whimpers, fingers digging into his arms but the persistent knocking makes her push him aside as her orgasm barely passes. Kai makes an animalistic noise and pulls her back but she manages to slip out from under him and get on shaky feet.

"Where's my top?" she hisses, forgetting about the cloaking spell and finds it at the foot of the bed. Pulling it on she moves to the door as Kai slumps face down on the bed in frustration. Trying to regulate her breathing she opens the door. Her mother gives her one very quick up and down and then to her credit just focuses on her face.

"Just wanted to remind you that the girls finish nursery early tomorrow. You're picking them up before your shift."

"Right, thanks. Okay so...goodnight."

"Night," Abby flicks her eyes to the gap in the doorway and Bonnie closes it a little. Feeling like a teenager she straightens. She is an adult, she doesn't have to skulk and hide. Not for the first time she wishes she had a place of her own.

"Kai's not taking Jamie's room, if you wondered where he was. I'll speak to you tomorrow mom," she smiles and Abby nods, stepping back. Her mother had missed most of her childhood but the look on her face is one she likely would have seen if she had been there. Too late now. As soon as the door closes an arm circles her waist and Kai picks her up off the floor. Bonnie laughs as she is carried back to the bed, his voice rough in her ear.

"I want you on your knees," he drops her onto the mattress, her back to him and Bonnie just has time to grab the headboard before he presses up against her ass, his erection evident. Bonnie rocks back against him, enjoying the noises he makes before he reaches for her shorts and pulls them and her panties down her legs, leaving them around her knees. He reaches back and pulls his t-shirt over his head, letting it drop to the floor. His hand slides up her vest, cupping a breast while the other pushes her thighs apart as far as they will go. Bonnie gasps, turning her face to him and he kisses her cheek gently, eyes fixed on hers. He pushes inside her slowly, making her feel every inch. They share looks of relief, that feeling of being complete before she looks away, squeezing her eyes shut.

"We're not using protection," she says breathlessly and Kai nuzzles at her ear.

"It's okay, got a spell for that," his teeth graze her neck and she shudders as he begins thrusting. Both half dressed, the night hot and sticky, Kai slams into her with a relentless pace, his hands pulling on her hips to enter her deeper. His mouth brushes against her ear and he speaks, his words a breathless ramble and she smiles with affection. He still likes to talk. The smile on her mouth pops wide as she gasps, groaning at the things he says, which grows progressively more filthy. About how good it feels, how much he wants her and when she answers back, surprising him, Kai loses his ability to speak he is so turned on.

Bonnie's laugh fills the room, which begins to rock and shake, the pictures on the walls not falling but sliding upwards, banging into the ceiling. She has not slept with a witch since Kai and the disturbances flashing around them adds to her excitement.

"You know those stories about - about poltergeist? Furniture moving, doors slamming?" Kai says suddenly as he pulls her up against his chest, one arm circling around her. "Nine times out of ten it's _really_ two cloaked witches fucking."

Laughter bursts from her mouth again and it feels so good. "I missed your stupid jokes, I missed you making me laugh," she says, turning to face him and he stops. His smile is gentle as he cups the side of her face, rubbing his thumb along her cheek before kissing her. Heart swelling with feeling she threads her fingers through his hair, giving a little tug and he smiles against her lips before suddenly pushing her down and flipping her over.

"How was the first time?" he asks, pulling her shorts and underwear clean off. Bonnie wraps her legs around his hips, arms resting on his shoulders.

"We kinda burned a mansion down to the ground. Well, that was more me."

"You're a little pyrotechnic Bonnie. Vhen did your arsonist tendencies start?" he asks in a accurate Freud imitation but doesn't give her the chance to answer as he slams into her, making her shout his name. He smiles, brushes his lips very tenderly against hers before pounding into her. The bed bangs against the wall and the room begins to shake again, the armchair by the desk spinning faster and faster until it begins to levitate off the floor. Her hands slide down his back to his ass, digging into him and he gets up on his knees, pushing her legs back until her knees are almost touching her shoulders.

His movements become erratic, his gasps turning into grunts as he nears his orgasm until all he can verbalise is her name and them a stream of affirmation. Bonnie scratches at his chest, throwing her head back and feels the burn of her fingertips against his skin and his answering shout. Pain mixed with pleasure he comes inside her, his muscles stiffening until his movements become slow and lazy, spending the last of himself.

He collapses, face pressing against her shoulder before he rolls off, panting for breath and stares upwards in surprise. Framed pictures, scarves, hair brushes, burning candles and every piece of jewellery she owns hang suspended like strange bats from the ceiling. Kai points.

"See? Poltergeist."

Laughing she presses herself against his side as he waves his fingers and the hanging contents of her room float back down, all resting on the floor. She barely has time to close her eyes when he is tugging her up.

"Kai?"

"Remember that contraception position? Gotta take it now," he says, pulling his boxers on and hands over her bathing robe. Bonnie gets up, slipping on the vest and then the cotton robe and again feeling like a teenager they sneak downstairs and into the pantry cupboard. Half an hour later, amidst kisses and restrained, teasing touches Bonnie gulps down the potion he has made.

"Disgusting. Why do _I_ have to take precautions?" she hums at him, sitting on his lap and Kai kisses her neck as his hand slides up her thigh.

"Men can too. Got to take it beforehand though…Next time?"

Bonnie smirks at him, leaning back as he tries to kiss her. "Better get to work then," she suggests and lightly hops off his lap, casting a coy look over her shoulder as she makes her way back up the stairs. Kai looks between her and the pantry, expression undecided and tormented and she laughs.

* * *

Early morning, the sun just rising the twins move down the hallway, their steps light. Faces still drowsy with sleep they blink in the soft light, stopping before their mother's bedroom door. They had looked in uncle Jaime's room but found it empty but they knew that Kai had not left.

Usually they burst into the room but this time they open the door as quietly as possible and peer in. Their mother sleeps facing them, curled on her side and Kai sleeps behind her, an arm slung over her blanket covered waist. Seeing a man in their mother's bed is completely new but it looks and feels right. It's Kai.

"Like spoons in a drawer," Ames whispers and they giggle behind their hands. They take in the scene, the sleeping adults and then the room itself. Pictures, clothes, candles and pieces of jewellery are littered all over the floor. Lia grunts in disapproval.

"Look how messy the room is! Mommy is always telling _us_ to clean our room but its never like this."

"Next time she makes us we can tell her. No _show_ her. Get granny's cell Lia, we'll take pictures."

"Evidence," Lia adds and they nod, two little conspiring witches. A very soft laugh breaks into their plan and they look up. Kai is leaning up on an elbow, still half asleep. His hair is a mess, like he has been standing in the wind for hours.

"What evidence?" he asks and clicks his fingers silently. Like a scene from Mary Poppins all the clothes, trinkets and pictures fly and shuffle to their proper places like nothing had moved at all. The girls gasp, half impressed, half scandalised.

"You used magic!"

"That's not fair, that's cheating."

Kai laughs, head falling back into the pillow as Abby suddenly appears and ushers the giggling girls away. She closes the door, not looking in and the girls skip around her, breathless and over excited.

"He made the stuff move granny!"

"I bet he did. Come on girls, time for breakfast and then nursery," Abby flaps her hands towards the stairs and the girls move, looking a little glum. They would rather stay at home but today they are going to give out invites to their party. Proper ones, on paper and in an envelope.

* * *

Bonnie wakes to a quiet, empty house. She feels the heat of him beside her and smiles into her pillow before turning. Sunshine pours softly through the window, illuminating him as he stares up at the ceiling with an amazed look.

"Hi," he says softly, looking at her and Bonnie rolls to his side, arm over his chest and he gathers her up.

"Morning. You look like someone just gave you a million dollars."

"I just can't believe this is happening. We have children. Together," he shakes his head with a laugh and cups her face. "I feel like I'm still in 1903 you know, there's been no time for me at all."

"I know, you'll have to adjust. Must have been a shock...I know you never intended to have any," she says quietly and his eyes grow dim.

"...It's true. Before I became the coven leader I never gave it any thought but then afterwards…" he trails off and she recalls clearly the conversation they had shared in 1903. He did not want children because of the crimes he had committed.

"They're not going to find out, okay? I won't put them through that pain...or you," she adds, the words a little sticky and awkward but she gets them out. He blinks.

"You really have forgiven me?"

"For what you did to me? Yes, a long time ago. You were punished for what you did to your family. I can't forgive you for that because it's not mine to give."

"My sisters…" he sighs, rubbing at his eyes. "How are they?"

"Jo is still in Portland, with Ric and her twins. She's a doctor, Ric teaches at the local college. Liv…" she trails off, not knowing what to say. "She had a rough time for a few years but she's doing better, last I heard." She has not had any contact with anyone but Matt for the last year, trying to keep a low profile. She hopes the youngest Parker is well and safe.

Kai nods, staring up at the ceiling again. "I want to see them but if I turn up at Jo's she'll probably set me on fire."

"She doesn't have magic any more."

"Wouldn't stop her."

They smile, both thinking of his bolshie yet awkward twin. An easy silence stretches, Kai almost falling back to sleep but when Bonnie sighs he opens his eyes and looks at her with question.

"If we go with you I have to quit my job."

At once his eyes shine. "Oh holy fuck do you have handcuffs?"

"Kai. Please be serious."

"I am."

She sits up, trying to hide her smile and looks at her uniform hanging over the wardrobe. "I'm not actually police. I work in a woman's correctional facility."

"A prison warden?" his lips quirk and she knows how ironic it sounds. It does not even need mentioning.

"I rushed here, needed a job. My friend Matt, who _is_ a policeman, knew someone at the facility and suggested I apply for a position. Got it, been there for the last nine months."

"Cool...so, no handcuffs?" he laughs as she rolls her eyes, getting out of bed. She looks down at him, gaze appreciative. He is gorgeous and entirely hers. Kai looks aside. "Gonna make me blush."

"Ha! Don't think you know what the word means," she slips on her robe, looking up at the window and stills. They should be making love, according to the visions they shared.

 _Maybe it happens later?_ The question why they would have repeated visions of one particular session of lovemaking is still a mystery to her. Pushing these unanswerable questions from her mind she smiles down at Kai, who leans over to look at his cell phone.

"Gonna shower. Nope you can't join," she adds before he can ask.

"Why not?"

"Because its the size of a shoebox," she answers over her shoulder, walking into the hallway.

"Water conservation Bonster," comes his reply and she grins, running down the hall. She has tried to push away feelings of being younger, of the risk and excitement that comes with usually being a teenager but as he suddenly scoops her up and swings her over his shoulder she laughs wildly, releasing all the bottled up feelings she has suppressed for too long. Her actual teenage years were filled with stress, death and too much responsibility.

She deserves some fun.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_bit of happiness and fluff :)_


	14. Chapter 14

Days pass, hot and slow and Kai feels like he wakes from one dream into another. He had often wondered what it would be like if his prison had not repeated daily but weekly. He summarised he would probably be dead by the end of the week through a combination of unstable nuclear plants with no one to man them and no bees. No bees means the end of the world according to the girls.

He turns over in bed, and pulls Bonnie closer to him, the room still dark. She had handed in her two week notice the day before, which had sent a thrill of anticipation and victory through him, though she had been sad. They _were_ going with him. As he drifts off to sleep he wonders what he would have done if she refused, if she made good on her promise to never see him again after their birthday.

 _I would take them and feel bad about it afterwards..._ His hand squeezes her arm gently, hardly noticing and he falls asleep, descending deeply until his mind is filled with running people and dark houses. Bonnie moans, frowning in her sleep as her mind is filled like gas with his dreams, unable to escape or bar them. Kai becomes aware of the change when his limbs shake with power, that always hungry core pulsing at the intake and the body in his arms shudders, groaning in pain.

"No," Kai gasps, eyes snapping open as he rips his hand away and gets on his knees. Bonnie rolls onto her back, still half asleep, her gaze disorientated.

"Oww...what happened?"

"I'm sorry. I - I didn't mean to do it."

Bonnie stills, gaze sharpening until she nods. "You siphoned me."

"It happens sometimes, when I sleep. Are you okay?" he asks, concerned and guilty as she sits up, still wincing. She closes her eyes, calming and then nods.

"Still there, mostly. I'm okay Kai," she adds when he reaches for her but hesitates. She takes his hand, lacing fingers until they are palm to palm. She smiles as candles flare to life around the room. He loves that about her, that primal link to fire. Both warmth and devastation.

"So you sleep siphon huh?"

"Yeah, but I don't snore or talk in my sleep," he smiles weakly at the joke, sitting beside her, hands still clasping hers. "When I was a kid Jo used to sleep with me sometimes. She hates lightning, she'd get scared shitless and couldn't sleep."

Bonnie smiles at the image. "The girls do that too. I'll find them piled on each other like puppies."

Kai smiles but lets it fall. "They probably don't ask each other for payment. I'd let Jo sleep with me if she gave me a bit of her magic, which she did. It became a running thing. If she ever wanted something from me she had to pay up…usually for pot," he adds, giving a dark laugh and then sighs, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "We shared a room until we were six, I think. We fell asleep one night, top and tails, I woke up the next day and she wasn't moving. I'd siphoned her to the point I sapped not just her magic but her life. Never gone that far before, didn't even know I could."

"What happened?"

"She was rushed to hospital. Doctors had no clue but my parents knew and so did I. I almost killed her. I think you can guess when _abomination_ made it's grand entrance into my family's vocab," his bitterness, like always, is awful but this time it is tinged with self reproach.

"It was an accident?"

"Yeah but when I knew that I had that power over them? I used it. Just the threat of fear can make people do what you want."

Bonnie blinks, struggling to speak whatever question has just formed in her mind. "Is - is that what you did to your siblings? The newspaper -"

"Got it half right. I did all those things it said but they were already dead, or just about."

"But then why..?"

"Why drown my brother in the pool or use another as my own personal piñata? Because I thought it would look cool on the local news, I thought it would draw attention...but most of all I wanted my dad to come home and find them like that."

He speaks softly, not looking at her and Bonnie's hand in his is tight, straining like she wants to run away. Kai looks at her, the darkness in his eyes fading. "It wasn't planned, not really. I lost it that night but they didn't deserve it, no matter how many times they called me a leech. They were kids…" he pulls his hand away from hers. "I don't have the words for what I feel now, the pain and remorse is like nothing else but if I put you or them in danger then I'll leave Bonnie. I know I can protect you from other people but myself..." he trails off, looking miserable and angry.

She inhales, clearly not expecting him to say it. "I thought you wouldn't give me a choice."

"Kinda big on choices actually," he smiles weakly. "I imagine bringing you with me, even if you say no...but I can't afford to screw this up. I've never been this happy, _ever_ but what I did is like this massive monster shadow at my back, it's always going to follow me. I'd never hurt you or them intentionally but I'm clearly capable of it," he motions at her arm, which still has the red imprint of his fingers there, slowly fading. "Do you want that in your life?"

They have not talked about Expression since she had revealed what power the girls wield, only that Bonnie can no longer generate it herself. He thought he would never take it from them but now there is this jittery doubt. He would never do it intentionally but what if he slips up like he has tonight?

She is silent for a long time, staring into the shadows crowding into the corners of her room before staring at the picture of the girls on the bedside table. She speaks quietly, looking away. "What you did was sick and disgusting, you felt no remorse for the lives you took, your own brothers and sisters who you should have protected. You were punished for it and I know you hurt now, more than you let me see. If I thought you could visit that on the people I love I'd bury you alive. I can handle you, if it ever came to it," she turns to him, gaze like granite and he nods, relieved.

"Good."

"But you're not that person any more Kai, I know you're not otherwise you wouldn't be in this house with my children if I had even the smallest doubt. The only danger you pose to them is the truth and that will never pass my lips. Running from your coven was not just to keep them safe, it was also to spare them that knowledge. You can't let that shadow them, even if some days you can't see through it," she adds gently and he nods, finally pulling her into his arms. They hold each other for a long time, the candles around the room rising and falling steadily. He feels more than he ever had before but he wishes he could selectively purge the ones that keep him up at night.

"The girls are safe, okay? Their power."

She pulls back, eyes narrowed, "I'm suspicious and paranoid, I admit it but I feel that way about everyone, including myself. I remember how it feels to have that power. I can only take it from them to…" Bonnie starts laughing, surprising him. "They'd knock us both out, you have no idea. There's this - this defence mechanism that activates if anyone tries. They have to _willingly_ give it to you. Not that they show the same courtesy," she adds dryly. "Do you know how many times they've siphoned from me and Abby? That's why my mom is weak in magic, they need a traditional supply. Sometimes they do it on purpose, little sneak attacks but mostly accidents. They draw us pictures and make them sing and dance as apologies. I think they'd actually like to talk about this with another siphoner," she suggests and his eyes widen before he nods.

"Okay, that's a good idea."

"I've been known to have them from time to time…" she pulls him closer to her and he strokes her back, where that old tattoo is still on her skin, fingers tangling in her hair.

"So you're not kicking me out of bed?"

"You might have to wear gloves like Rogue from now on," Bonnie jokes, pulling back and he gives her a heavy lidded sardonic look.

"Jo got _endless_ hours of entertainment from that joke, the nerd," he smiles, touching her face softly. "Seriously though it might happen again, I can't always stop it when I'm asleep with another witch."

"Not all the time?"

"No, sometimes I'm well behaved," he lightly glides his fingertips along her mouth, which part and she sucks on them, teasing eyes on his. He grunts when she licks in small circles and then releases them with a small pop. He threads his fingers in her hair, cupping the back of her head, erection straining against his boxers, needing to feel her mouth around him. Bonnie places a finger against his lips and hops off the bed.

"Nuh-uh. You said you give something in return for magic. Pay up," she leans back, beckoning with her hand and stifles a scream when he swings her around, pushes her onto the bed, tugging her legs over the edge as he gets on his knees.

He works for every single drop taken.

* * *

 

" _Cecilia, you're breaking my heart, you're shaking my confidence daily…_ " Kai sings along with the radio and the girls giggle. When he changes the name to Amelia they laugh even harder. The radio begins to crackle as the song becomes something not for little girl's ears and Bonnie looks at him peripherally, mouth curling. _Tequila_ by The Champs plays instead and the girls jump to their feet with Bonnie as she starts dancing like an idiot, the girls joining in.

"It's tradition!" Bonnie explains, balancing on her tiptoes.

"Pee-wee Herman?" Kai chuckles which then becomes an eerily accurate imitation of the most irritating laugh in the world. He used to surprise her in 1903 with it at completely random moments, just to get a reaction.

This time it works.

"That's so annoying!" she laughs.

"I know you are but what am I?"

Bonnie growls and places her hand against his mouth, falling to her knees beside him. The twins, as expected, begin repeating it to each other faster and faster until the words are ineligible and they start to chase each other. The backyard is warm and the sky a deep blue, the smell of the crushed grass under them intoxicating. Kai lies back and closes his eyes, smile stretching from ear to ear. Bonnie looks at the girls, now on the swings, and watches them whispering to each other.

They had picked up the children from nursery together, where the girls had introduced all their friends to Kai as their father. He had been unable to say anything, overwhelmed but Bonnie had felt a prick of unease. The girls had not talked to her about who Kai truly is, they had clearly known all along but not to share that insight with her...being secretive is not new, even as twins they are very close but as they have grown she has felt there are things they do not want to share. Are they afraid that she will deny it? That she will drive him away?

_I did say he was going after their party...Are they planning something?_

"Are you used to the noise?" Kai asks suddenly, breaking into her thoughts.

"Of the world?" Bonnie settles beside him, keeping her eyes open.

"Other people talking, laughter, birds, the drone of planes...it's normal but…"

"It doesn't seem real at first...listening to music helps when you're outside. Sorry no Walkmans," she jokes and he smiles. She had endured silent isolation for months but he had years and years. She might not have the warped perception of the surroundings as he does but she remembers late at night when the only sound was the air in her lungs and the beat of her heart. One day she suspected even that would stop. It almost did.

"I never thought it would affect me at all. I was gonna merge, win the leadership and rule over the coven. The rest of the world was nothing, I'd seen it all already."

Bonnie places her hand on his chest, fingers playing over the fabric of his tee-shirt. His heart beats against her palm. "So you thought you'd win, which you did, but over a coven that hates you. How were you going to solve that?"

"Do you really need an answer?" he narrows his eyes, smirking. Bonnie shrugs and he sighs, looking back up at the sky. "I would have given them a chance first, s'only fair. Swear loyalty and complete commitment to the coven or be used as an example."

"Which was?"

"I'd siphon them until they gave in or died. In front of their family. Thought it would speed up the unsure and hesitant in making the right decision," his voice is level and thoughtful but with no malice. He sounds like the Kai she knew in 1994, pleasant and reasonable as he plots murder. Bonnie sits up and he looks at her, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Is that still your plan?"

He gazes at her, a line forming between his brows and he sits up, his eyes dark. "My coven would still be totally down with forming another prison world around me Bon and you know it. They're ruthless because they have to be. Their life is linked to mine, someone that they do not want as their leader but I am. If I have to make examples of the dissenters…" he trails off, his eyes falling on the girls as they swing through the air.

"Leadership that is only recognised through fear is not leadership," Bonnie whispers and Kai snorts.

"Think I should send them cards of apology? Sorry I pissed you off enough to imprison me for eternity. Please join my little club, signed your remorseful worshipfulness."

Bonnie scowls at him and his drops the humourless smile. "They don't hate you Kai, they fear you."

He shrugs. "Fine by me, at least they're smart."

"You realise the people that helped lock you up are mostly dead now? That pain you felt in the prison world, the loss of magic, it was their passing you felt. The younger members...you're like the boogeyman to them."

Kai is silent for some time, watching the girls make daisies bloom in the grass and begin picking them. When he speaks his voice is soft, introspective. "I never cared about who the members were, they were just pieces for me to move or dispose of."

"Like chess? Who did you think you'd be fighting against?"

"My father. He had been the coven leader for a long time, longer than the reign is meant to last. He gained sympathy and loyalty over that time, people who would not abandon him even if his leadership was passed to another. He would tell them to listen to Luke if he had won against me, to respect him but he would be the real power and every one would know it," he looks at Bonnie intensely. "I didn't spend eighteen years in isolation to be ignored."

His anger is deep, something that she had glimpsed from time to time, usually when it would burst from him uncontrolled. This is a slow, white hot rage, fuelled by something that he could not truly feel before: hurt. He would burn them all to sooth it.

Bonnie moves closer to him, half pitying, half reprimanding. "I understand you're pissed, I do but like I said you actually have a chance to start fresh. The old members, they won't follow you, you're right but these others…" she shakes her head, remembering the hesitation of them standing before her burning house, the seconds they gave her to escape with her children.

"You think they'd listen to me? They're Gemini, brainwashed from birth."

"There are exceptions. You always said your coven was intense but I never really guessed how much. When I lived in Portland with your sister they were interested to know what happened to you. I couldn't remember and once they realised I was telling the truth they backed off. This was before they realised I was pregnant," she adds and he nods, listening attentively. "They generate magic for you, the more members the more magic there is and they always have a supply of it. A balance. But then a whole bunch of them were wiped out in a fight."

"With the Heretics?"

"Yes. Started by your crazy coven by the way."

"Shocker."

"So they needed more members but your coven is a bloodline, formed through marriage," she explains and Kai immediately starts nodding, understanding in his eyes.

"My coven is scattered throughout the world, made up of different houses that are either tenuously or directly linked to the original Gemini coven thousands of years ago. We like to keep it in the family but to stop that getting _Flowers in the Attic_ levels of ick we started marrying other witches into our coven. It's the only way to become a member if you're not Gemini by blood."

Bonnie nods, clearly having heard this before. "So the older generation, those who survived, pushed arranged marriage after arranged marriage on them, most of them _not_ consensual. That's why your magic is not as weak as it was."

"And they're pissed," Kai smiles, nodding. "I can use that."

"You can sympathise," Bonnie counters. "Don't forget all siphoner witches in the world come from your coven. If you don't reach out to them then the Heretics will, if the old Gemini members don't get to them first..." she adds and his expression shifts, soft and thoughtful. They watch the girls placing lopsided daisy chains on each other and then race over to them, more flowers swinging from their hands.

"We're princesses, 'cause you're the leader. So you need a crown too," Lia pushes the flowers on top of Kai's head, which he lowers at once, as Ames bestows her own on Bonnie.

"You're the queen mommy."

"Damn right."

* * *

 

Another deep and hot night settles over the facility, which is small and well ordered. Well it has been since she started working there. She will miss the friends she has made here, though the relief that she won't have to lie any longer unknots a ball of tension in her stomach. No one knows who she truly is, what she is capable of or what she has run from. It was the only way to keep her family safe but the temptation to just offload her troubles to her unsuspecting colleagues had been strong on lonely nights. She misses having a friend to talk to but with an elated fizzing realisation she knows this is now changed. Kai is that person, not someone she ever thought she would call a friend, let alone a lover. But not even her oldest friends know what it means to be a witch in a world that doesn't even believe they exist, he does.

Soft snores drift into the observation room as she looks up from her book. Her colleague Debra doze before the monitors, head bobbing and Bonnie smiles affectionately as the tiny redhead sinks into sleep and her chin stays down. She is small but Bonnie has seen her flip a two hundred pound man over her back without breaking a sweat. Her shift ends in half an hour and she is ready for a large meal and a glass of wine, all courtesy of her current live in chef.

"Have you ever had to deal with a riot?"

"What the fuck!" Bonnie jumps in her seat, dropping her book and turns to find Kai sitting in the spare seat. He grins, swivelling around and through the shock she process that he is wearing a uniform like her. He notices her scrutiny and flourishes a hand at his badge.

"Like it?"

"Please tell me I'm not going to find Hugo stuffed half naked in a locker?"

"Of course not. He's a foot shorter then me," he jerks out of the chair and Bonnie eyes Debra, but she remains asleep.

"You shouldn't be here. How did you even get in?"

"Through the front door," he answers innocently and laughs when she purses her mouth. "What are locks to witches?"

"Or federal laws?"

He makes a pffting noise. "Relax. I'm cloaking us right now. Look," he points at a monitor and Bonnie leans close. The room on the screen shows only her and Debra. She is still reading her book, looking up occasionally to watch over the sleepers. Bonnie stands, satisfied but still unnerved at the sight of him.

"If you're gonna stay some ground rules," she holds up a finger. "No breaking anyone out."

"Just you and me."

She narrows her eyes and holds up a second finger and points them at his uniformed chest. "Get changed." His lips curl and he reaches for his belt buckle but Bonnie cocks an eyebrow. "Your badge is the wrong color…" she sing songs. He huffs and sighs and the illusion around his body shimmers until he stands in dark jeans and a blue shirt. She smiles in amusement, sidling closer to him.

"You wanted to visit me at work?"

"Wanted to see you in that again," he motions at her body and Bonnie shakes her head, bemused. The day Kai had found them she had been beset with a terrible fear that made her rush home, still in her uniform. Since then she stores it safely in her locker where it should be, along with the handcuffs. He pulls her into his arms suddenly and she laughs but immediately feels guilty as his lips graze her throat. She gets her hands up against his chest.

"As much as I want to handcuff you in one of the cells this is my job. I have a duty, I can't mess around."

"You have twenty minutes left. They're not gonna wake up until sunrise," he looks at the clock, which now reads _8:34_. Bonnie stares at Debra, who she now suspects has not fallen asleep under her own volition and gazes at Kai levelly.

"Sleeping spell. This is wrong."

"Like you've never done this before. This place has not had one riot, one fatality, serious incident or investigation since you started working here. I did my research: the newspaper clipping on your mom's fridge," he smiles smugly and Bonnie cock her head. He sounds proud. Her mom had been.

"Maybe I'm just really, really good at my job?"

"I don't doubt it but you're also one of the most powerful witches in the south east. You can't ignore that, even if you wanted to. Magic wants to be used."

He brushes his lips against hers quickly, teasing and she smiles wistfully. "Shame that there's no jobs for people like me. I mean other than helping when they need it."

Kai's mouth thins at this. "There are jobs like that for witches, from teachers to soldiers to bakers, but you actually get paid with _real_ money and not the occasional show of gratitude that you're used to. Witches serve _nature_ , not flaky friends who don't know how to stay away from shit until they need you to pull them out of it."

"Wow. You're very judgemental now."

"You're rubbing off on me," he grins, pulling her against his chest. "Seriously there is work out there where you won't have to hide who you are, entire communities of witches where the girls can be themselves. For the first time in two thousand years a siphoner is the coven leader. Their life is gonna be different, better..."

His promise is tinged around the corners with threat, curling with heat and smoke.

"I'm trying to keep a low profile Kai."

"I know but that won't last forever. We head west, hunker down while I test the Gemini waters and then whatever the light touches is yours," he motions with his hand, casting his eye over an imaginary vista. Bonnie smirks, knowing he has been watching the _Lion King_ earlier.

"Are the shadowy parts yours?"

"And the foggy parts too. You ever been to Seattle? Rains like a bitch for 363 days a year," he explains but then sighs wistfully. "Be cool to catch a game again…" he regains focus and grows serious. "The entire west coast and islands are under my jurisdiction."

"All of it?" she blinks in surprise.

"Two thousand year old coven Bonnie. We have strongholds in most countries."

"What about the east coast? The south?"

"Regent in the south, New Orleans specifically. The east is goddamn mess since your coven was dissolved. Told you there was a gap that needed filling Bon," he wags his eyebrows and Bonnie opens her mouth but is speechless. Kai laughs and kisses her.

Her family _did_ have a coven once upon a time. What happened? And how does Kai know this but not her? Aside from spending time with the twins, racing through the _Harry Potter_ books and what feels like endless amounts of hours making love Kai has been quietly studying. Where he has gotten this information from he is evasive, becoming restless and playful.

"Come on Bonnie, we can talk shop later. I want to take you out."

"Here? Monroe is certifiably dead."

"Think I can't show you a good time?" his eyes narrow at the challenge and her chest squeezes with a thrill of excitement and a little fear.

"What you classify as _good_ will probably end with me and a tube down my throat."

"That will be me, if we come across a bottle of _Patrón_. Come on, I just have memories of snowmen and empty ballrooms. Between running, raising the twins and upholding the law when was the last time you went out and had fun?"

She thinks and the truth hits her like a dull cloud in the stomach, grey and depressing. "...Not that it was fun but the rave."

"Oh…" The twinkle fades from his eyes and he remains silent, which reinforces the memory even more. Bonnie manages to smile.

"You were speechless."

"You threatened to melt my face off."

"Glad I didn't. You filled out real nice," she whispers, pushing his cheek away and he grins. "Before I said anything you were blushing like a schoolgirl."

He laughs loudly. "I really, _really_ needed to see you. I couldn't stop thinking about you and I thought if I saw you then it would get better. Kinda sounds like confronting a fear you want to overcome," he adds in a rush of words but doesn't give Bonnie time to comment. "When I saw you...the speech I had been practising for days just evaporated. I knew then that whatever I felt wasn't just guilt. I was totally  _wrecked_."

Bonnie smiles softly, recalling the almost innocent and utterly bewildered expression on his face, the lights shifting around them, the music pumping through her chest. She had been shocked, terrified but then something had bleed through her that iced over any fear. Anger and an anger solely for her own behalf and not anyone else's. She would have raised that warehouse to the ground if he touched her.

"I thought you were lying."

"I know. No more doubts now right?"

"Some, you're still a Gemini."

"Wise. Okay so the plan to buy you a drink and maybe go home a little scorched for my troubles backfired but I can do _much_ better now. Unless you wanna carry on reading... _Her Twisted Passion_ ," he smirks at the cover of her trash novel and Bonnie grows hot. With a flick of her fingers it flies back to her empty chair, making it spin.

"Fine but if they break out _you're_ recovering every single inmate yourself."

"Don't get my hopes up," he sighs and pulling her back into his arms Bonnie feels an old but familiar vibration ringing through her body as she and Kai transport from the room and into the staff lockers. He lounges on a bench, watching her get dressed.

"So, where are we going?" she asks as she pulls on a black vest and then sits on his lap to pull on her jeans. He hooks his fingers into the belt loops and tugs her up, making her laugh as he zips her closed and then stands, arms around her.

"It's a surprise," he whispers into her ear and then bites it.

* * *

 

 

He drives them out of town, through swamps and past mossy banks, heading further south through the dark until they stop before a wooden gate in the middle of nowhere. The field beyond is flat but she can make out a few jagged headstones and ivy covered tombs but beyond that the night swallows up the land.

"I told you this place was dead but I didn't think you'd take me literally. I thought we were going somewhere to eat?"

"We are," Kai turn to her, holding up a thin glass phial, with a dropper. "You know those old stories about witches dancing around cemeteries? Well they have a root of truth to them. Some covens, like the witches in New Orleans, draw their power from their dead ancestors. That's where they congregate. The other covens followed suit."

"And that is..?" she asks as he drops a single droplet of the clear liquid into each eye.

"Anti glamour."

" _Anti_?" she frowns as he offers it to her. "I'm not going to start hallucinating am I?" He probably thinks tripping on some witchy drug is a good time. He narrows his eyes playfully, reading her mind.

"Most witch establishments are cloaked but others are glamoured. This place looks normal to anyone passing, just an old abandoned graveyard but take two of these," he shakes the bottle, which has a slight opalescent sheen. "You'll see the magic as it truly is."

"And you just happened to have it on you?" she takes it, still unsure, and he shrugs, getting out of the car.

"I haven't just been creeping your mom out while you're at work Bon," her mother can't seem to let it go that Kai is technically closer to her age. Bonnie has no qualms, he might be double her age but between them there is no doubt who is the actual adult.

"I swear if I start seeing pink elephants…" she grumbles and holding her breath she drops the potion into her eyes. As she does she suddenly thinks of _A Midsummers Night's Dream_ , the love potion dropped onto the eyelids of the sleeping lovers. _Love in idleness._ She stares at the liquid, questioning but jumps when he calls to her, illuminating by the beams of the headlights. Smiling she exits the car, pushing the comparison away and goes to his side. As she looks past him she stills, mouth falling open.

The land beyond had been dark and still but she sees lights bobbing over the graves, playing over the trees and framing a path through the grass towards a massive mansion that had not been there seconds ago.

"Holy shit."

"It's a hotel, for witches," Kai explains, pulling her along with him. Bonnie barely hears him, staring at the building. It's old and very tall, with ivy growing up the brick walls and pink flowers spilling over balconies. Music drifts through the warm night air, a beat that resounds in her chest and works its way through her bones, making her want to dance and spin. Exhilaration swells up within her and a detached part notes that this emotion is foreign, clearly exasperated by the music and the scent coming from the flowers. Before they reach the front of the mansion, where a number of people are lining up and talking Bonnie stops Kai, trying to calm herself.

"There are witches in there?"

"Yeah."

"I'm trying to avoid witches and everything about that life Kai. I can't stay here."

"We're not, we're just here for a meal. Come on Bon," he moves them aside as a couple pass, smiling happily. "We both know the moment I left New York I was followed. My coven knows where I am, they've been tailing me."

"Why didn't you tell me? The girls."

"They're safe! There's weaves upon weaves of warding spells around each, not just the house. I know you want to be left alone but that's not possible...unless I remind them who the hell they're messing with," the happiness that had shone from his face is now gone, replaced with a threatening rage and Bonnie feels cold.

"That's why we're here? So you can let everyone know you're back? Here I thought we were on a date."

"I can do both. Their horderves are _totally_ worth the cost of the anti glamour," he laughs but when she moves back he stops, reaching for her. "Wait. Listen. The party is gonna take place in the town, we'll be out in the open, all in one place. It's a perfect time to target us. I just want to tell them what a stupid idea that would be for them because they will Bonnie."

She shakes her head, arms crossed over her chest. "I know that they could come, that they would _try_ but whoever comes after my family would not even make it passed the door because I wasn't going to let them. I don't need to posture, throw my weight around to make that happen."

"You're missing the point. You shouldn't have to in the first place. You shouldn't have to hide, live out in the butt end of nowhere, run and lose of all your shit because of _my_ coven. What the hell kind of leader am I if I can't even control my own members?"

"Maybe the fact that you feel like you have to control them should tell you something. Like I said trust is earned, not through fear. Why else am I here? You proved that with me."

"I'm not here for a fight. I want to sit down, have something to eat and spin you around...but I'm not going to be ignored or forced to hide. I wanna live Bonnie."

She sighs, looking aside. Half of her wants to turn on her heel and go back but the other half wants to see what happens. Despite the blissful happy days they have had this proves that behind his silly jokes and easy manner there is something dark and whirling going on behind those eyes and that will never change, merge or no merge.

"I am tired of hiding and lying, I want to practice my craft, I want my old house back and I want the girls to actually have friends who know what they can do...but this isn't over. You manipulated me because you knew I wouldn't have agreed to come here if you told me the truth," she scoffs suddenly, lowering her arms. "Even if you lied to me I wouldn't have been able to tell."

"Bonnie…" he sighs her name, looking dejected but she's tired and hungry. She gives him a small smile and walks into the mansion. Before her a large, shiny wooden desk sits, where people check in to stay but to the right a maitre'd waits behind a large open book. He takes one look at Bonnie in her jeans and vest and his lips purse.

"There is a dress code madam."

"Uh, right…" Bonnie looks down at herself and then with a wave of her hand the air around her body shimmers. The black jeans and vest morph into an off the shoulder figure hugging black dress, the hem clinging to her thighs.

The man's lips curl a little and Bonnie smiles, cocking her head as Kai comes to her side, placing his arm around her waist. "Reservation?"

"The Dioskouri table," Kai says clearly and the maitre'd chokes, eyes widening at Kai's beaming face. Bonnie, no idea what is happening, watches as the the man hands Kai the pen and he signs a blank page. The ink shines blood red for a moment and Kai winces before the ink disappears. This seems to satisfy the waiter because all the suspicion disappears in an instant.

"Right this way Mr Parker," he moves towards a set of double doors, which open to let him pass and Bonnie and Kai head into the restaurant. Bonnie had dined at a few top restaurants with her father and this at first glance seems very similar. Mirrors line the wall and great chandeliers hang from the vaulted ceiling but on closer inspection she sees the magic weaving through the entire room. Beautifully dressed couples, witches, sit before plates and shinning crystal glasses and as she and Kai pass the empty bowls suddenly fill with soup.

 _I'm in a Ritz for witches, with the leader of a two thousand year old coven. Stop gawping!_ Bonnie looks up, staring at Kai's back but she finds it hard to look away as they pass other witches who shine, a mirage of shifting lights and colours that surrounds their bodies.

"Auras…" she breathes in wonder and Kai smiles, turning to her as they are shown to their table. It is placed at the top of the room, in an alcove but everyone has a clear view of them. Above the table a symbol is engraved on a metal plate, which Bonnie first mistakes for an hourglass.

"Gemini symbol. This table is always reserved for the leader," Kai whispers as they take their seats.

"Perks of leadership huh?"

"One of many," he answers and Bonnie realises then that he has also changed his clothes. He now wears a white shirt and black pants. A tux without a tie. Bonnie smiles, looking down and he narrows his eyes. "What?"

"You used to wear cargo pants and chucks."

"Think I should change into something more comfortable? They wouldn't throw me out you know."

"I'm just saying, you look...mature. It's nice."

"And you look incredibly sexy. Kinda wish we had the place to ourselves," he bites his lip, eyes roving appreciatively and Bonnie knows he's thinking about cloaking them and spreading _her_ over the table.

"That would be a good report," she jokes and spreads her hands through the air. "First public sighting of the new Gemini leader and he's caught fucking a Bennett witch in front of all the shocked guests, more news to follow at ten."

"Well, not before starters. I'm not a total savage."

"Hmm I recall you go all caveman at breakfast, so I guess the guests are safe," she thinks of the last breakfast they shared in 1903 and her face heats.

 _You're meant to be angry at him_ , she thinks and a part of her is, a prickling disappointment but as a waitress approaches she tries to focus. This is a totally new experience for her and she wants to savour it, she can shout at him later. The waitress, a young girl, smiles a 100 mega watt smile at them and Bonnie knows at once that the girl has been told who their guest of honour is and she is terrified.

"Here are your menus. Please per - pursue at your leisure. When you have made your selections please just - just mark them and your food will be prepared," she rattles this off and turns to leave but Kai leans forward, tangling his fingers in the apron strings, stopping her. She jumps a foot and turns, looking like a startled mouse.

"The drinks menu?" he asks, smiling amiably and the girls laughs.

"Sure! I'm sorry! The - the wine of the day is on the first page," she drops the menu onto the table, red faced. Kai ignores it but Bonnie picks it up.

"Got any Zima?"

"Any what?" her eyes are round now, like a spooked horse.

" _Zima_ ," he stresses, still smiling. "It's an alcoholic beverage, real popular in the 90's."

"I - I was born in 2000," she mumbles and Kai gasps.

"Wow. I was 28 in 2002. I know, I don't look a day over 25. I celebrated by blowing up Portland for the tenth time."

"...Wh-what?"

"I'm not even kidding. You know how much time it takes to destroy a city? I died a couple of times from heat exhaustion and that was _after_ the debacle with the flamethrower. Annihilation is the most tiring but rewarding pastime, next to baseball."

The girl has moved past fear and into Lovecraftian madness.

"Kai stop it. We'll have whatever wine you think is good, thank you," Bonnie says, rescuing the poor girl who looks close to manic tears. She nods repeatedly and then backs away before running through a doorway. Kai chuckles.

"I want to invite her to the party Bon."

"You're awful, you better give her the best tip ever. We're lucky she's not serving the food because it would end up in our laps she's shaking so hard. Good first impression."

"Hope so," he says, shaking out his napkin and as bottle of wine in a bucket promptly appears on their table. Bonnie looks at her food menu, shaking her head. He did not tease the waitress for the fun of it, well not entirely, he did because that scared girl is now spilling her guts to the rest of the staff, a story which will then spread.

The leader of the Gemini coven favours white wine and he destroys cities in his spare time. Great.

Despite the bumpy starter the rest of the meal is suspiciously cordial, Kai eating and talking as if they are the only ones there. Bonnie wishes she could do the same.

"They keep staring at us," she says over her brisket. Every so often she sees figures stopping by the door, staring at them. One even holds up their cell and takes a picture.

"Let them look. My father avoided places like this like the plague. It's like seeing royalty," he says, cutting up his lamb, not looking the least bit concerned. Bonnie snorts.

"Royalty? Should you put on the daisy crown?" she jokes and his eyes light up.

"That would make a good picture. Seriously though I'm serious. You don't know how the top tier covens work Bon but it's the closest equivalent."

"So you're rich then?"

"Bill Gates got nothing on me," he lifts his eyebrows, eating a piece of lamb with a smile. "Money is not a worry."

"Wow, how nice for you."

"It is because I've spent eighteen years not paying for anything. So if the police ever contact you it'll probably be for accidental shoplifting."

She laughs, picking up her wine glass. "So, the party tomorrow. Gonna tell me what this super secret gift is?"

"Nope," he answers, grinning as she rolls her eyes. Bonnie had gotten the girls an assortment of gifts, the biggest had been a dollhouse, which she and Kai had enchanted so that it was larger on the inside and could also neatly fit inside a drawer when not played with.

"Their little friends from nursery are coming, along with their parents. Normal people Kai, muggles, so no magic."

"I totally get those references now so, fyi, those times you called me a squib in the 1994 prison world? Rude."

"I apologise," she utters theatricality.

"I'll behave myself, the real fun begins when they leave," he lifts his glass and clicks it against hers as their desert appears with a faint tinkling sound. Kai grins in delight. He is an utter foodie but she could get used to this.

She spoons the vanilla and chocolate ice cream into her mouth and groans. Like everything they have tasted tonight it almost too good to be real. The swirling color decorating her bowl makes her look up and inspect Kai's aura. Her twins can see them without help but she has never been able to, until now. She cannot look at any for long without feeling like she is being hypnotised. Her own is invisible to her.

Kai gazes at her softly. "Yours is like fire, bright and kinda rippling. Orange and white, but with these veins of gold," he describes and Bonnie smiles.

"Yours is...strange but beautiful," she admits and he says nothing. "It's dark, like gas on water but with this rainbow sheen. There's also flecks of gold too."

"Cool, I'm an oil slick. See any dead baby seals?" he sucks on his spoon and Bonnie cocks her head in amused exasperation.

"You had to ruin it. I was trying to be nice."

"Oh that was meant to be a compliment. Gotcha."

"Eat your pudding."

They laugh quietly, finishing their ice cream and when tiny cups of coffee appear Bonnie gets up to use the restroom. People watch her as she passes and quickly away to whisper. She catches a few words but one that stands out is _consort_. Frowning she keeps her eyes directly ahead until she pushes her way into the ladies.

* * *

 

Full and content Kai pulls out his wallet, counting out bills to tip the waitress when someone sits opposite and he looks up with a smile. It is not Bonnie.

"Olivia?"

"Malachia," she answers with mock reverence, not smiling despite the tone of her voice. She is still in her leather jacket, her wild hair a mess like she ran here. Or flew. Kai tenses, drawing on the magic that increases by her proximity but remains still. He lowers his wallet onto the table, keeps his hands relaxed and visible. He smiles, giving nothing away but inside he is twisting and twisting.

"Haven't seen you since, well…"

"Since I skewed you on a poker like a pig?"

"Yeah, that's it. How did you know I was here?" he asks lightly and she pulls out her cell and he leans forward slowly. He is aware that the room is very quiet, all eyes on them and he flicks his own over Liv's shoulder. No sign of Bonnie. He looks at what Liv is showing him.

"The Gemini have a group chat, this picture appeared."

He sees him and Bonnie seated at the table, amongst bubbles of text. "Wow, there's a Gemini Whatsapp chat? I don't even get an invite?"

"Drop the bullshit Kai. What the hell are you doing? Every enemy you have knows exactly where you are, do you want them to kill you?"

"The only enemies I have are from my own damn coven, so if they kill me they're going down with me. Geminis are crazy but we're not stupid. I wanted the word spread, I'm not hiding anymore. I know you've been following me."

"Dad made me. We found you half dead in New York, kept you hidden and immobile but you woke up. We put the damn Sleeping Beauty curse on you but you woke up," she looks amazed and Kai pulls a face.

"Someone kissed me?"

"Who the fuck is crazy enough to love you? Bonnie Bennett?"

"She didn't know where I was and the jury is still out about the love part…" he smiles, knowing that the girls woke him up, but not with a kiss. He stares at his sister, who looks tired and sad. "You came to warn me?"

"As if. I don't want to die...and I don't want those little girls to pay for your arrogance," Liv narrows her eyes, leaning forward and swipes the screen on her cell. A picture of the twins flicker and then settle on another pair. Curly haired blondes, about a year older than his children and adorable. They look just like their dead grandmother, as Liv does. It always hurt to stare at her after their mom died, now it's agony.

"Jo's daughters?"

"Your nieces. Even thought about them?"

"I think about all of you," he leans forward, dropping his smile. Kai stares fiercely at Liv. "If you don't want to stab me with another poker why are you here?"

"I don't want to kill you, as much as you deserve it. I want you to suffer and the thing is I don't even have to do anything. You'll fuck up your own life, you'll end up alone and miserable and it will be entirely your fault...but those two little girls don't deserve to see that, to experience that pain," she flicks back to the picture of Ames and Lia.

"I've changed Liv, I really have."

"I know," she answers with an earnest softness. "How could you not be? Half your soul is Luke's and if you love half as much as he did you would do the right thing. You should not be around children Kai, it sickens me that you've spent this week in that house with them. You know I still have nightmares of you chasing us through our home with a baseball bat, seeing Elliot and Lucy hanging from the stairs? Your voice…I was just a little girl and you - you ripped me apart that night, I was ... _ruined_ ," tears appear in her eyes and his stomach churns, trying not to be sick.

"Liv I -"

"No you shut up and listen for once. If you love them, if you want to protect them then you leave. I don't know how Bonnie can even sleep with you there, how she doesn't wake up at night wondering if her children are dead or gone. You know if you had got caught by the police all those years ago and got realised now your name would be on a register, ever think of that?"

"Stop," he hisses and the glasses of water and coffee begin to boil, the spoons bouncing in the empty bowls. Liv laughs, sitting back.

"No because even though you're changed you remember how it felt, how fun it was so hurt and frighten others because you were bored or angry. If you you feel pain, the burden of a conscience it must burn you because you know how light it was to not feel anything. Life must have been so much _easier_. Do you miss it? I bet you do but that part is there Kai and one day you're gonna snap and let that gibbering fun loose and the only ones who will pay will be your children."

"I - I'd never hurt them," he struggles to speak and it kills him.

"Maybe not intentionally but you will, like I said it's just who you are. You might have done your time, you might feel bad now but that does not wipe away what happened. You get to have a happy life? _You_ get to have kids and lead our coven? It's not fair or right. You should not be a hundred feet within touching distance of them...but I know that's not up to me. Bonnie Bennett is not a stupid woman, she hated you once, she knows what you did. I wondered if you forced or enchanted her but no, I think she really must love you despite the shit you've done. I pity her because you know what? I loved you once too, _so much_ , but you still chased me through the dark with blood on your hands," tears stream down her face and he cannot breathe, no words that can make this right. Liv stands, wiping the sleeve of her top over her face before speaking again.

"Lead our coven Kai, maybe with Luke's influence you'll even do a good job but think about what I've said. You're a child killer, remorse or no remorse nothing will take that sin away. You wanna protect those little girls? Do it as their leader, _not_ their father."

She gives him one tired, empty look and disappears, cloaking herself. Kai sits back and sees with an agonising punch to the gut that Bonnie is running for the door, the candles around the room roaring until wax splatters against the walls and tables flips over in her escape. Kai stands, his veins rushing with an icy horror.

"No...No! Bonnie!"

She had heard every word.


	15. Chapter 15

"Wait!"

Bonnie feels the phantom grip of his magic against her shoulder and she swipes her hand viciously back, breaking the contact as she bursts into the night. Liv's words beat in her head, pounding their way through her ribcage. Her pain, her misery pulse through Bonnie as if she had siphoned it from her. She had lived with Liv while pregnant for a few weeks, getting to know her better after the sham of Bonnie "tutoring" Liv in magic, before she had known anything about Kai. The young woman had only occasionally revealed the raw damage beneath her bolshie exterior. This was like listening to a child in pain.

"Not here Kai," she hisses as his hand grabs her wrist, swinging her around to face him. He breathes heavily, his eyes wide and desperate. The light from the mansion spills over them and Bonnie can see figures at the windows, watching them. She inhales, trying to calm herself but emotions overwhelm her. Tears stinging her eyes she begins to walk backwards into the dark and he moves with her, fingers still circling her arm.

"Please don't go."

"I can't go back in there. What she said…" her face crumples, shaking her head slowly and Kai looks at the ground. Anguish radiates from him, feeding her own. He lowers his hand, letting her go. "I - I spent time with her when I was pregnant but she never told me. I knew she was angry, she was worried about what had happened to me, what you might have done but she never shared. I wasn't prepared," she admits, moving a little closer to him when he does not lift his gaze to her.

"You knew what I had done," he utters gutturally and Bonnie shakes her head.

"It's one thing to hear you talk about it, to read it in the newspaper, and another to hear it come from someone to survive. I - I still trust you Kai," she adds and he finally looks up. His eyes are wet. "I'm just upset. That was overwhelming."

He smiles humourlessly. "That makes two of us…" he sighs, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes tiredly before they fall limply to his sides. He looks back at the hotel, eyes dark and troubled. "Do you think she's right? Should I be around the girls?"

Bonnie hesitates, licking her lips. He stares back at her with a weary gaze that soon turns desperate as her silence stretches. He moves closer and she backs up a step, bumping against the edge of a tomb.

"You're not a threat to them, I said it before and that hasn't changed," she says finally but Kai shakes his head.

"That's not the issue. Liv thinks it's morally irresponsible," he frowns fiercely, greatly troubled. His sense of morality is there, she has witnessed it but only so far as it pertains to her. Like his experience of the real world and his own life it must be skewed. She's can't be that compass. She leans against the tomb and he comes to her side and they watch the lights dancing around their legs, the silence heavy but needed. Music drifts from the hotel, echoing strangely in her ears. Magic throbs through everything, even the cold tomb under her hands. Kai sits on the edge of it, elbows on his knees and Bonnie moves between his legs, thinking more clearly.

"I can't tell you what to think or believe, the decision is yours, not mine or Liv's. However what she thinks about my children does not concern her, okay? I've said I'm okay with you being around me, around them...but if _you're_ not..." she shrugs, biting the side of her cheek as pain surges up at the prospect of him leaving.

"I want you to stay with me, all of you," he answers at once, taking her shoulders in his hands. "It's selfish because I don't know how that will end but if Liv is right it _will_ end. I'm the coven leader, I have a duty," he says and then laughs. "I swear I never, ever thought those words would come out of my mouth back in the prison worlds."

Bonnie smiles weakly. "Character development," she touches his face gently, the hectic emotions stilling. "You do have a duty, your coven needs leadership and hopefully someone to shake things up but...you have other duties too, if you stay with us."

"I know...I want both. My father couldn't do it or wouldn't. The coven always came first and we suffered for it. I don't want that."

"But you're scared it will if you take on the responsibility?"

Kai hesitates before nodding. "He was hardly there, the job took up all of his time and focus..." he snorts, shaking his head. "I've read enough Freud to know about the futility of _not_ wanting to become like your father. You become the thing you rebel against. Promise me you'll stick me back in 1994 if that happens?"

Bonnie places her hands against his chest, smiling sadly. "My dad was always away on business...but he always came back."

"I used to dread him coming through the door…" he shakes his head and then pulls her into his arms. "Fuck Freud. I'm not him because I made my decision a long time ago and I didn't pick the coven. You come first, always."

The memory of him dying in a pool of blood on the Salvator kitchen comes vividly to mind and her breath catches. Happiness flickers through her, a little bitter in the wake of the previous upset. "Liv needs to believe that."

"She won't listen...and I don't even know what the hell to say."

"She doesn't have to listen. Showing her will prove it. Words are meaningless without living up to them. I know you can do it," she stresses and he nods. A part of her marvels at the exchange. When she shoved a pen in his throat all those years ago she never thought she would one day be reassuring him or that he would _need_ it.

Kai inhales, the trouble in his gaze clearing a little. He smirks, thumbs brushing against her cheeks. "When you ran I thought that was it, deal breaker."

"Would you blame me if it was? You were punished for what you did but I think sometimes it's easy to forget that people are still quietly paying, people who never deserved to."

"I know...but I don't know if I'll make it better or worse."

"Won't know until you try. Trust me, that makes you different from the other monsters," she adds sardonically and Kai cocks a quizzical eyebrow.

"I haven't failed to notice your silence or dismissal of your Mystic Falls friends when I bring them up. What happened?"

Bonnie nods, looking down. She has avoided the questions because thinking about them and her past is still painful. But not all of it. She looks up with a small smile. "Well you know Caroline is in Denver. She's a news anchor," she says proudly as Kai looks sceptical.

"Yeah good public profession for a woman who will never age...what about Stefan and Damon?" he grows serious. He still blames Damon for his part in leaving him behind in 1903 but he is curious. She knows he suspects the truth but he needs to hear it and she needs to finally admit the truth.

Bonnie hesitates. "Stefan is in New Orleans, last I heard. Damon...He's dead," her throat tightens but she does not cry. It is too late for that. Kai says nothing, just gazes at her intensely. "There was a fight and he didn't make it. I had to make a choice, him or me..."

Kai inhales, leaning back. "Whatever happened you made the right decision. Do you know how pissed I'd be to wake up only to find out you had died sacrificing yourself again for that asshole? I'd boil his blood in vervain and then make him drink it. Gross enough?"

Bonnie snorts, looking aside. Thinking about Damon, about any of her old friends, hurts but over the years she hasn't really had time to miss them. Those who still live are well, out of Mystic Falls and probably have less supernatural drama than she does. Except for Elena, wherever she is now...she pushes the mystery of her missing friend away and focuses on Kai.

"I look back at myself, before it all started and wonder what younger me would think. I was so focused on doing the right thing, to do good by my friends, those monsters...what does that make me? I spent so much time around killers that after awhile the death and pain that they caused just...didn't matter as much as it once did. I don't regret what I did, I want to live, I deserve to...but I'm not a machine. People get hurt and sometimes we're the ones to cause it...and I'm sorry for my part in that."

"Sooo...is this an apology for the pickaxe to the heart?"

Bonnie purses her lips, trying not to smile. "That was pretty cold huh?"

"Fucking subarctic and yet hot," he jokes.

"Yeah it hasn't escaped my notice how you and pain have a _special_ relationship," she digs her nails into the nape of his neck and he hisses, which then turns into a low laugh.

"Come back with me, we can get a room…" he stares at her suggestively, eyes lingering on her lips and a part of Bonnie wants to wrap herself around him and let him take her but she stops. She believes him, she trusts him but he runs from the things that he does not want to face. If they are to go forward he needs to look back.

"This isn't a distraction? You have a lot of stuff to think about. You haven't been given the chance to actually lead, you don't really know what it's like. Do you even know what you plan to do next?"

He growls. "I planned to get drunk, rip your clothes off, fuck until neither of us could move and then prank room service. Not a distraction," he assures her and they both know he is lying but Bonnie relents.

"Don't forget the party is tomorrow."

"Right. I take it I'm still invited?"

"If you don't turn up the girls will be devastated. You're gonna be there, no matter what."

"I will, I promise," he smiles, sadness still around the corners before he leans down to kiss her gently, too gentle. She stares up at him and he gazes at her deeply. "Will you leave with me tomorrow, you and the girls?"

"Still got two weeks left at work. After that…" she nods and he exhales, smiling but she frowns. "This is the third time I'll be uprooting them. Wherever we go next that's it, no more running. They need stability."

"And they'll have it. You can't stay at your mother's much longer anyway. I don't know what will happen next Bonnie but we'll figure it out," he says encouraging, cupping her face and she nods. Kai widens his eyes, realising something. "Actually the next thing I have to do is go through an initiation ceremony as coven leader. They're not gonna make it easy because my father has to hand over the title to me, even though I hold the power now. It's kinda like a presidential swearing in."

"In Oregon?"

He nods, staring as a drunken group pass them. "Wanna be my plus one?"

"Your consort you mean?" she asks and his mouth falls open in surprise.

"Where did you hear that?"

"I heard people whispering in the restaurant. They sounded scandalized," she arches an eyebrow and he grins. "Well coven leaders are expected to be married and with kiddies on the way by my age," he motions at his face. "If that doesn't happen then marriages are arranged, like we talked about before. If no kids come then coven leader can cast the net wider."

"Mistresses?" Bonnie pursues her mouth. She has never counted herself the jealous type but her eyes must look a little greener than normal at the thought.

"And whatever the male equivalent is. Oh Bonnie there's so much fucked upness about the Geminis that I can't wait to regale you with," he laughs at her judgemental face but it dies when people pass them, staring at Kai with alarm. Seeing the happiness drain from him Bonnie wraps her arms around him, making him focus on her.

"So, hypothetically, if we got married like three hundred years ago and I couldn't have kids you would be pressured into taking on a mistress?"

Kai opens his mouth, hesitates at her heavy lidded look. "Well in this day and age of surrogates it takes the divorce paper smell away but I wouldn't. You're the only woman for me Bonnie Bennett _and_ I have no intention of there being another coven leader after me."

"Right answer."

"Thank god. I'm sweating," he pulls her up into his arms as she laughs. "Ten minutes ago I thought you were going to leave me but now we're talking about this?"

"Hypothetically," she stresses as she hangs securely in his arms. "Like when you hypothetically asked me to join your coven back in 1903. Jo told me, when she had stopped laughing, that was only possible through marriage for non bloodline witches."

He actually blushes. "I hope she laughed so hard she choked."

Bonnie smiles at his awkwardness. It has not escaped her notice how that almost smarmy smoothness she had experienced in the 1994 prison world has now morphed into this puppy. "You're cute. I mean you're an ass, but you're cute."

He smiles in accomplishment before capturing her lips in a rough kiss, his stubble scratching her skin, making her groan as he play bites at her jaw and throat. Growling he gets on his feet, spins her around and lifts her up onto the tomb.

"Oh we're making out in a graveyard like a couple of vampires?"

He pulls back, looking unimpressed. "We were here first," he swoops down to kiss her again but she places her fingertips against his mouth.

"As the all powerful coven leader, taking me on our first date, is this your idea of a good time?"

"I think doing this with you anywhere is a good time but if you insist," he swings her off the stone lip, arms supporting her thighs and she grins down at him, cupping his face.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really but you're here. Are you?"

"Yes. Things will be okay Kai," she whispers, lowering her lips to give him a deep, tender kiss as he lowers her slowly to the ground. They hold each other as the lights flicker and bob around their feet before scattering as they finally make their way back into the light of the mansion and the sight of the staring guests within.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_Sorry for the wait and the short length of this, wanted to post *something*_

_The plot ahead is a bit ambitious and I don't want to screw it up, so that's why I'm taking my time. Next chapter the birthday party! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

Cake mixture pours thickly into a tin, while another bowl of it is being furiously beaten, the whisk moving by itself. Kai peers through the oven door, watching the birthday cakes rise. Bonnie, who had followed him down to the hotel kitchen, which had been empty at this time, had watched and then helped but when she had almost fallen face first into the mixture Kai had ordered her to bed.

"Don't bake all night," she had warned and Kai had smiled and dabbed icing sugar off her cheek. Bonnie had pushed his face away, giving a low laugh. He had been licking the stuff off her for the last hour and burnt a tray of cupcakes as a result. She was a delicious distraction.

Now, humming to himself and focused on the task at hand he looks through the kitchen window, which has a view of the restaurant, and is pleased to see the young waitress from earlier. She cups her hands around candles, their flames enchanted not to spread. Her hands flare red, clearly sucking the magic from each stick. On each shoulder he sees a tattoos, the left depicting a sun and crescent moon and the other a milkshake with two straws. His smile broadens as she walks into the kitchen and stops dead at the sight of him. She is tiny, her multi coloured braids woven to form a bun on top of her head. She looks like a startled mouse.

"Hi. I didn't catch your name," Kai says and she hesitates before answering.

"Gemima."

"Nice to meet you. Sorry about earlier, I was just kidding," he puts down the bowl and picks up one of the cupcakes Bonnie had made. "Here, try this," he offers it, which has lavender coloured cream cheese frosting and he thinks she will not take it but she does, coming forward shyly. She can barely look at him and Kai wonders if the little waitress is in love. How sweet.

"Not supposed to eat from the kitchens."

"That's insane."

She manages a smile. "I mean the staff."

"My treat," he opens the oven door, testing the sponge and then turns back, closing it. "So, you're a siphoner huh? I saw you taking the magic out of the candles...and I guess the milkshake tattoo is a statement? Better than a leech. Maybe I should get one."

"Don't tell anyone," she whispers at once, cupcake forgotten. "I really need this job."

"No one knows?"

"My manager, she doesn't care but the others…" she trails off, looking miserable. Kai stares at her with sympathy and actually feels it. "You know who I am right?" he asks and she nods slowly. "I'm like you."

"...People think I'm a freak...all because of some prophecy," she utters with a hard stare and Kai smiles.

"Ah the Bennett prophecy. Do you know it? I've only hear of it second hand."

"Not word for word but..." Gem hesitates before licking her lips. "A long time ago a Bennett witch said that abominations would spring from the Gemini coven, born from those who devour magic. These aberrations would destroy the Gemini coven as they know it, bring darkness over the world," her voice is low and serious, not saying it theatrically like he would. She must take it seriously.

"It's bullshit. Why would a Bennett witch, a family that only looks out for their own, be concerned with our coven? It would make more sense for a Gemini to have that vision."

She shrugs. "Can't pick the visions you have. Maybe it concerns both now...I served you and a Bennett witch earlier," she says, nibbling on the cupcake and Kai is still, thinking of his children and then laughs.

"She has nothing to do with this. There are only a handful of heretics left, thanks to our coven and they seem focused on keeping _out_ of trouble, not starting it."

"...Well sometimes trouble finds you, even if you run. My coven has made it it's business to correct imbalances for centuries, starting with cursing the Travellers. The merge ceremony, a dark magical sacrifice that is practised again and again and again...maybe nature cursed us back. Maybe the heretics are the balance to our cruelty."

Kai stares at the teenager, whose gaze is unfocused. The anti glamour is losing its potency so he cannot make out her aura but he can imagine it must be rippling right now, something below stirring. Kai smiles, tilting his head.

"Gem? Put down the cool aid and finish your cupcake."

She snorts, which reminds him of Jo, and eats the cupcake, occasionally throwing glances at him in his apron and flour streaked face before she stares at a bowl that has stopped mixing itself.

"Oh, I forget," Kai moves towards it but Gem shakes her head.

"I got it," she cups the bowl in her hands, focuses and Kai watches as her palms and pads of her fingers glow red and then the whisk begins moving. She lowers it with a small smile but it falls at the look of astonishment on Kai's face. "...What?"

"What did you do?"

"I made it start mixing again."

"I know but _how_?" he comes closer to her, expression intense. Gem blinks, deeply confused.

"I poured the magic I have left back into - into the tired spell," she explains, staring at him as if this is obvious. Kai stares at her unblinking and then down at her hands.

"Can all siphoners do that?"

"Yeah? I mean the ones I know can, my friends. You have to want to do it, to feel something," she explains and trails off, losing confidence at the thunderous look on his face, that immediately disappears as he laughs in realisation.

"You have to have empathy. God, that's how Ames gave my magic back, I didn't even suspect," he shakes his head in wonder, missing the way the girl flinches at the sound of his daughter's name. When he looks at her she is smiling.

"Not many people know we can. We're just leeches to them...but my - my dad always said that leeches get a bad rep, they actually help lots of sick people," she gives a nostalgic smile and Kai cocks his head.

"You know things are going to change right? People will still call use leeches and abominations but only once," he says with a friendly threat. "Your dad is like you?"

"...He was," she whispers thickly, tears in her eyes that do not spill. Kai awkwardly pats her shoulder.

"Sorry. Have another cupcake, take two! Bonnie won't be pleased but go on, I'll say I ate them," he offers the cupcakes, one with purple frosting the other yellow and with tears rolling down her cheeks she takes them.

"Thank you. I - I hope everything goes as planned tomorrow. You make a - a lovely couple," she steps back and, clutching the baked goods, she does a surprisingly smooth curtsey to him. Kai's face breaks into a grin of delight.

"Wow, you're like my first fan," he utters gleefully and the girl laughs, a rich sound coming from such a small thing. For some reason it makes him shiver. She nods and turns on her heel, nibbling on one of the cupcakes until Kai is left alone in the kitchen. A beeping noise draws his attention and he whips around to the oven.

"Shit!"

* * *

The vaulted hall, surrounded by trees strung with fairy lights and a huge garden to play in, is quiet, their friends not there yet. Neither is mom or dad but they can feel them coming closer. Granny points at a large wooden box by the door. It has a slit cut into the top.

"Only people with invites can come in."

Lia gasps. "We didn't invite ourselves!" she looks at her grandmother with dismay who laughs.

"Don't worry, you both get free passes."

Ames touches the white wooden box, feels the magic inside and nods with satisfaction. "So if someone don't have one they're not allowed in."

"Right."

Celia and Amelia, dressed respectively in purple and yellow dresses of tulle and satin, stare at each other as granny walks into the hall. They had awoken that morning from a bad dream, one that they can just barely recall but unease lingers, dulling their excitement, especially Amelia. The feeling that something bad will happen is a familiar sensation, one that proceeded their house being burnt down. The feeling almost always proves to be founded.

"Kai put wards around us, around everything, even the car. It'll be okay Ames," Lia urges, taking her hand and the world around them comes alive as it always does when they touch. Magic, a deeper, richer thing then the power they get from the leaves and earth is as normal as the way their lungs fill with air, the way their hearts beat. Not being able to use it is akin to holding their breath for weeks at a time. It's not natural but they know they have to if they want to keep swimming.

"They're far away. They should get here...now," Ames says, giving Lia's hand a squeeze while consulting an imaginary watch on her wrist. They turn as a car pulls up the street and parks before them. Kai and Bonnie get out. Kai is dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt while their mother wears a pretty floral sundress, a white cardigan over it. If the adults have any idea of the magic that has been used to quicken their journey they do not show it. Hardly anyone has any clue if they have been naughty, not if they don't want them to and they're only little tricks.

"You're here!"

"Granny cloaked the presents!"

They shout together, racing to their parents. Kai picks up the girls, who cling to his back and as they move into the hall the previous nervousness is forgotten. For the next three hours the Bennett family enjoy the chaos of entertaining twenty small children, which is akin to herding cats. The attempt is futile but as soon as the word _cake_ is uttered they all come running.

"Kai...this is beautiful," Bonnie says in amazement, staring at the chocolate two tier cake he had made while at the hotel. He had spent more time in the kitchen then he had in bed with her. At least she had made the cupcakes. The cake is glazed and the bottom layer depicts a night sky and stars, the colours blending from blue to purple. The second smaller tier is of the sun, the rays shifting from yellow to orange. The yellow and purple artfully blends together, a rising sun. It is a piece of art.

"Did you use magic?" she whispers as they place candles around it. Kai leans back, hand to his chest.

"How dare you. I didn't spend years perfecting my baking to hear that."

Bonnie snorts and looks through the gap in the doors. The kids are seated at the table, the girls waiting impatiently in the middle. The room is dark and noisy, filled with chatter and music. Bonnie smiles at Kai, who is placing the last candles. Deep affection blooms up inside her and she kisses his cheek.

"Thank you for this. They've never celebrated their birthday like this before. I worried that they never would," she confesses and Kai tilts his head, hooking his arm around her waist.

"We'll do it every year and each birthday will be bigger than the last," he promises, kissing her quickly and looks at the cake. "Want to do the honours?" he motions at the unlit candles and making sure no one is watching Bonnie narrows her eyes.

" _Phasmatos incendia_ ," the candles, all forty of them, flutter alive and their faces are bathed with light and heat. Bonnie leans back as Kai floats the cake into the air.

"I went overboard with the candles."

"You? Overboard?"

"They'll probably pass out making their wishes," he says as the cake settles onto their hands. Bonnie laughs loudly and then groans in loss.

"It's so beautiful and it's about to be destroyed."

"About to be _enjoyed_ ," he corrects and as Abby comes to open the doors he and Bonnie inhale and begin singing. The kids, and even the adults, gasp at the sight of the cake and the click of numerous cell phones tell Kai his creation is about to go on every soccer mom's Facebook page in Carolina.

As they sing happy birthday and settle the cake down the girls crowd around, taking one side each, their faces transported with joy and Bonnie feels her throat tighten with emotion. She loves them so much and to see them so happy makes her heart feel like bursting. She looks at Kai beside her and sees the same delight on his face and she kisses him softly. She has never felt so much love.

"Make a wish girls!" Abby yells, recording them on her phone and the twins clasp hands. Bonnie feels her body tense, the usual _no_ forming on her tongue but she stays still, saying nothing. Let them hold hands, let them have this moment.

"Make it count," she whispers and knows they can hear her. They close their eyes tightly, little noses scrunched up as they concentrate and then with a deep breath they blow out the candles. Starting from the top the flames puff out quickly one by one, spiralling around the cake and the kids gasp in wonder, the adults laughing in delight, clearly some trick. Bonnie claps and Kai places his fingers in his mouth and whistles, making the children laugh and try to immediate him. The girls cut the cake with Kai's help, much to the dismay of the adults and the excitement of the kids and slices are served out, amongst bowls of jello, icecream and cupcakes.

"Think we got away with it?" Bonnie whispers in Kai's ear as they sit crossed legged next to the girls, paper plates in their laps. He grins, shrugging and hovers a chocolate loaded spoon by her lips.

"Come on, open up," he urges and the spoon slips into her mouth. Bonnie licks it clean, teasing eyes on his and he smiles. "If you look like that I'm gonna end up feeding all the cake to you. Your mom is eating all the cake girls," he adds loudly and the twins round on Bonnie at once.

"Mommy! We have to save some! For kindergarten and the other people who could not come," Lia scolds her mother, who looks suitably mortified.

"I promise I'll save some, it's just so yummy. Kai did a good job didn't he?"

"Super good! That should be your job," Ames says and Kai lifts an eyebrow, leaning closer.

"What about my other job? Think I should quit?"

"No! You can do both. Like Jose's dad, he is a fireman but he _also_ teaches little league," Ames says around mouthfuls of frosting and Kai nods seriously.

"That's a good point. I'll remember to come to you when I have business questions," he says and Ames giggles, pushing her cake covered hand against his mouth.

"You're silly."

Kai growls, pretending to bite and she shrieks, pulling back with a laugh. Kai cocks his head. "So gonna tell us what you wished for?"

The girls shake their heads hard, curls bouncing. "It won't come true!"

"Fine...but did you both wish for the same thing?" he asks and the girls look at each for a moment before nodding. Kai smiles. "I have a feeling that whatever you wish for comes true, so I hope it was that the Seattle Mariners win the World Series."

Bonnie clicks her tongue. "Now _that_ will _never_ come true."

Kai flicks cream at Bonnie, who threatens him with a jello loaded spoon and the girls smile at each other. Their wish is much better than baseball. Baseball doesn't have bridesmaids.

* * *

As goody bags are given to the last sticky fingered child they wave the last of the guests away. Bonnie sighs tiredly but smiles, making her way back to the garden. The girls slump before the table piled with presents, the sugar rush that had made them race around the garden now sinking them into a sugar coma.

"Maybe you can open your presents tomorrow?" Bonnie suggests, sitting beside Abby.

"Nooo," the girls wail lazily and sit up slowly, looking at the mountain before them. Ames looks at all the ribbons and knots and frowns. "Maybe we could use magic?"

"Half the fun is ripping the paper," Abby reminds them as Kai appears from the hall, looking very pleased with himself.

"My gift doesn't require unwrapping," he proclaims and looking down he whispers. " _Phasmatos oculix_."

Sitting between his feet is a huge and serene black cat, it's green eyes half hooded and Bonnie gasps. The girls have a delayed reaction, blinking in confusion. The cat is the one to make the first move, meowing when it's green eyes spot the family on the bench.

"...Miss Cuddles?" they gasp as the cat jumps onto their laps, purring deeply and the girls begin crying they're so happy. Bonnie stares at Kai with amazement, going to his side.

"That - that's really Cuddles?" she asks but she knows it is. Kai grins, nodding.

"You didn't tell me that Miss Cuddles is actually _Mr_ Cuddles," he says and Bonnie laughs.

"We got him when they were tiny and they just started calling him that. It stuck. Where did you find him?"

"He was rooming with a nice family," he says innocently, as the girls hug the cat, Abby recording the moment. Bonnie stills, smile fading.

"Please tell me you didn't steal him?"

"I _reclaimed_ him. Those other kids will get over it," he waves a dismissive hand and Bonnie is speechless as he moves to the girls, who kiss him repeatedly with gratitude. Seeing how overcome they are, even the cat, Bonnie pushes down the guilt but she can't help picture some poor child somewhere putting up missing cat posters.

"...You had a busy night huh? Was he in the car with us the whole time?" she asks and he laughs, nodding. Bonnie sits down, shaking her head and scratches the cat under his chin. The girls, now full of energy, chase the cat around the garden and into the hall, the other presents forgotten. Bonnie recalls how often she considered cancelling the party, having it in her mother's backyard out of fear but the day had gone better than anyone expected. She eyes the man beside her and the surreality of it is starting to fade, but only somewhat. Kai catches her gaze and smiles.

"The boring people have gone. Time for some real fun," he grins, grabbing her hands and pulls Bonnie to her feet. He laces his fingers through hers and closes his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Shush, need to concentrate," he squeezes his eyes tightly and Bonnie feels a tingle run along her hands, the starter to being siphoned and she begins to pull away but the pain does not come. Kai tugs her back and opens his eyes, staring at her deeply as magic channels in stops and starts from him to her.

"You - you're giving it to me?" she gasps, smiling and Kai lowers his hands, clearly drained from the effort. "The girls just learned to do it. Did they teach you?"

"No, a siphoner at the hotel gave a demonstration. Remember that little waitress? I didn't know we could, it never even entered my head. Gotta have empathy or something," he deadpans and Bonnie chuckles before ringing her arms around his neck.

"I'm happy for you, it's another step," she whispers and while her tone may sound condescending she means it. He is still changing in ways he never thought possible. Kissing they forget the night before, just existing in a perfect hour until a deep clanging noise breaks them apart.

"The bell," Kai says, looking towards the hall. "It's a spell, it rings if anyone uninvited tries to get in," he explains and he, Bonnie and Abby hurry into the hall. Bonnie hopes it's just some random person trying to enter. She spots the girls standing by the open doorway, the cat curling around their ankles. Not one person but a crowd are standing outside and Bonnie's stomach loosens at the sight.

"Girls, come here," she says and the girls come at once, their faces solemn. They look up at the adults.

"Poor Beau," they whisper sadly and Bonnie gasps and races forward, Kai at her heel.

"Beau? The Heretic?" he asks but Bonnie does not answer. She reaches the doorway and stops. As expected she finds the Gemini coven, Joshua Parker at the front along with another woman. Looking up Bonnie stiffens in shock.

"...Lucy? What's going on?"

Bonnie's older cousin, who she has not seen in years, stands with distant members of their family, a family that has not been formed into a coven for generations. Bewildered she looks between the Bennetts and the Parkers.

Kai moves forward a little, cold eyes on his father. "Sorry, invites only."

"We're here because you've given us no other choice," Joshua Parker begins, looking at Lucy who nods stiffly. "Last year we tried to create a Prison World around you," he explains to Bonnie, who snarls at him. "That could not contain them."

"Nothing in your power is a match for them," she hisses, standing before the girls who peer around her and Kai. Lucy nods sadly.

"We know and that's why we're here. You know the old Bennett prophecy about siphoners is about them, it always has been." Lucy says and Bonnie wants to block her ears to it but she cannot. The journal that she and Kai had found in the 1903 prison world, now so many years ago, foretold the coming of the Heretics, who she and Kai inadvertently let out. Now any siphoner can potentially become a Heretic.

"That prophecy has nothing to do with the girls."

"We think it does. Seers in all covens have been foretelling something dark approaching but you've decided not to listen. We did noting when the Expression triangle sacrificed our family but we can't look away any more. I called the scattered members of our family together so you know how important it is. We want to help Bonnie."

"Help with what?" Kai asks. Bonnie glances at him and knows that he is plotting the quickest way to murder everyone there if he has to. She takes his hand and looks around at Abby, silently begging her to take the girls to safety. Her mother does it, taking the twins by the hand and into the kitchen.

"Nature aims to restore balance in every aspect of life. When the Heretics were released your children, my grandchildren, were born with an ability to counter those creatures," Joshua explains and Bonnie shakes, knowing where he is going. "Without them nature would see an imbalance. That's why you and the Heretics are working against us. Unfortunately the last Heretic died last night."

"No…" Bonnie blinks in shock. She and the heretics had a mutually beneficial arrangement: they would keep each other safe because nature demanded it. Without them the magic the girls possess is now an imbalance. Beau must have tried to stop them or they killed him so they could attack.

"So we make more heretics," Kai says with a shrug and grins. "Lucky for me my coven is just _full_ of siphoners. I think I can wrangle up some vampire blood and force it down a few necks before snapping them."

"Those creatures are against natural law. That would be foolish."

"So is taking another step," Kai says quietly as his father moves. Joshua, who has been ignoring Kai since he appeared, finally looks at his son.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt, none of us do…unlike you," he narrows his eyes and smirks. "You want to kill me, kill all of us."

"Oh I don't want to kill you dad, what kind of son would that make me? No I kinda just want to go back to that night, wait a few hours so you can actually see them dying with your own eyes. That's my one regret, not seeing your reaction," he smiles and does not feel the loss of Bonnie's hand in his, or the way she looks at him.

Joshua shakes his head, inhaling a deep breath before speaking, addressing Bonnie. "We reached out to your family, who have the same reservations and we have come to the same conclusion."

Lucy nods, looking sad but determined. "They are an imbalance Bonnie. Together the girls have unlimited and complete control with nothing to stop them...if they're together. For the balance and the peace of the world, we have to separate them."

Bonnie shakes her head. "Never. Whatever vision or prophecy you've heard is wrong. I will never split them up. Leave now or we will attack you," Bonnie looks at Kai, who nods.

"I'm sorry Bonnie but this was not a request. The spell will take effect at sunset. You will both lead separate lives, no memory of the other until your twins are old enough to merge. Even we will have no memory of this. The spell is total." Joshua explains.

Kai lifts his hands and the witches gathered are blasted off their feet. Bonnie, with an immense use of power, sends them all to different parts of the country, not caring of half end up in the ocean. Kai grabs Bonnie's hand and they spin around, looking for the twins only to find Abby sprawled on the ground. Bonnie screams the girl's names but they do not come running and the garden is empty. Not even the cat is seen.

"Where are they?!"

* * *

Granny leads them away from the witches, witches the girls have seen before. Lia looks at Ames, trying to stop crying.

"Is this because of what we did this morning?" she asks as Abby leads them into the kitchen. She looks down at the girls.

"What did you do?"

"We made mommy drive here faster. We're sorry," Lia admits and their grandmother smiles, leaning down.

"You've done nothing wrong. Those people are going away, you have nothing to worry about," she pulls them into her arms, hugging them tightly before rising. "Why don't we head into the garden? You still haven't opened your presents!" she heads towards the swing doors, pushing them open but someone else is already standing there. "How did you get in?!"

"Free pass."

Lia and Ames gasp as their grandmother crumples to the ground without another word, revealing a young woman they have never seen before. The girls clasp hands at once and the woman with multi-coloured braids smiles, leaning down.

"Good, now don't let go of each other for _anything_."

Frozen to the ground with fear they stare at the woman, who looks no more than a teenager but over that face something shifts, like a heat mirage. The illusion around the woman is perfect but the aura cannot be concealed. A golden spiderweb spreads out, the threads never seeming to end so it looks like she walks in a drifting cage. Their father has something similar.

"Who - who are you?" Ames asks but she _knows_ and the knowledge makes her want to close her eyes, fall asleep and wake up from this nightmare.

"Call me Gem...though you probably know that's not my name," she whispers and the twins nod. Lia begins to cry and Gem reaches out to comfort her and then draws her hand back. "Shouldn't touch…"

"What - what is happening?" Ames asks, terrified but calmer than her twin. It hurts to look at Gem, everything about her is _wrong_.

"I've stopped time."

"Why?"

"Because when the sun goes down those people want to pull you apart, separate you. That can't happen...and because it will keep her safe," she points and the girls look at their mother, who is frozen. No one is moving but them, not even the wind.

"Mommy?"

"She tried to stop the spell and it didn't work. It was too much for her," Gem whispers, her gaze haunted but dry, as if she had cried all her grief out a long time ago. The girls weep, staring at their mother and father, wanting to go to them but unable to.

"You're not a witch, the color around you is wrong," Lia finally says, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"I'm a hybrid. You know what that is?"

"Like Beau," Ames provides and Gem nods. Amelia cannot guess what she really calls herself. Looking at her makes her feel sick and shaky, she wishes she would go away.

"I'm a heretic," she confesses. She sees the unease and deep shock on their faces and sighs, getting to her knees. "I'm sorry that I scare, this is really weird for me too. I'm breaking every natural law being here anyway so…" she snorts, shaking her head and then with a ripple the illusion surrounding Gem fades.

The girls, though suspecting the truth, are so overwhelmed that they cannot scream. They stare at Gem, _not_ short for Gemima, until her face is stamped on their minds. Finally they move a little closer, curiosity bleeding through their shock.

"You're from the future?"

"Yes and I'm here to make sure it never happens. Will you come with me?"

The girls look back, staring at Bonnie and finally nod in agreement. They never want to be separated from their mother and if a spell is going to make that happen then they will destroy it. Even if they have to put the sun in a jar to stop it setting.

* * *

Panic floods through her veins, making it hard to think so as the blood on the roadmap moves she can barely focus.

"They're back at the house," Kai says and grabs her hand. Her mother had been knocked out and she will not wake up but she is alive.

"Maybe they got scared and went home?"

"After knocking granny out?" Kai asks sarcastically and Bonnie feels like screaming at him. Kai inhales, closing his eyes. "Sorry. Let's just get back there, okay?"

The head into the garden, clasping hands and neither notice the complete stillness or silence, just the air rushing out of their mouths and the mad beat of their hearts. Kai, better skilled, teleports them away from the hall and to the backyard of Abby's house. They overbalance and fall to their knees in the grass but as they look up they see the girls small faces from the kitchen door. Someone ushers them away and Bonnie and Kai jump to their feet and race forward.

The girls are standing by the wall, holding hands while a sweaty woman stands before them, her hands up. Kai's eyes bulge as Bonnie bares her teeth.

"You?!"

"Get away from them!"

"I'm here to help," Gem shouts and Kai spots that she has something metal in her hands. It is triangular, like a flat pyramid but the cogs, wheels and chains are unmistakable.

"A new ascendant?" he laughs, wondering how this little waitress ever fooled him. "You think you're gonna imprison us?"

"Not imprison, you won't even notice. You'll grow, seasons will pass but - but no one will ever get in or out. You'll be safe. It's the only way to stop the spell," she pleads as Bonnie suddenly thrusts her hand out and Gem is blasted back. The girls gasp and let go of each other, avoiding being hit and Bonnie grabs and pulls them out of the kitchen.

"And think I shared cupcakes with you. You're crazy," Kai smiles down at the bleeding girl, who suddenly bares her fangs at him in anger. The traitorous little siphoner is a heretic.

"You have to listen to me! If the sun sets then the spell will begin and I won't be able to stop it. I'm using all of my power stopping time," she yells, sweat pouring down her face. "Bonnie will try and it'll kill her."

Kai leans back sharply and looks out of the window. Bonnie is on her knees, her hands outreached towards the frozen sun. He can see her muttering, feel the magic pouring out of her and at the same time Gem starts chanting, getting to her feet. The spell is linked to every particle of light, he would kill himself trying to drain the spell. Bonnie has no chance but together maybe they can stop it.

"Sorry, not feeling like a prison world vacation right now. _Phasmatos incendia_ ," Kai says and the ascendant bursts into flames. She drops it, yelling and attempts to pick up the melting relic. She stares at it hard and the flames begin to recede, the ascendant starts to repair itself and Kai shakes his head. If she wasn't trying her hardest to ruin his life he would be impressed.

"You know I thought you had a little crush on me? I'm hurt," he says, mock confused. Gem's face crumples in misery, shaking her head.

"I love you."

Kai laughs, a horrible sound and with a flick of his fingers the cutlery hovers into the air, pointing at Gem, who appears too shocked to speak or defend herself before a knife thuds into her chest. She falls to the ground and Kai stares down at her with satisfaction, the ascendant now melting into a puddle. A ripple shimmers over her body as she coughs, the illusion keeping her true form hidden vanishing. Kai blinks rapidly as green eyes stare up at him with a look of betrayal.

"Dad?" she whispers, hands around the knife handle now buried in her chest. Kai shakes his head, beginning to pant and falls to his knees. The girl is beautiful and though she is in her early twenties Kai recognises her at once.

"No, no! Nonono," Kai hovers his hands above her, not knowing what to do.

"I - tried to stop it. I tried…"

"What - what's happening? I don't understand."

"I shouldn't have been at the restaurant, I just wanted to see you both together, happy," she smiles and then touches a silver pendant on her bloody chest. The Gemini Seal. "Me and Lia just merged but I won. I was tricked. I came back to stop it from happening, this is when it starts," she whispers, tears falling from the corner of her eyes. Her breath whistles and from outside he can hear the girls screaming.

"Ames?" he asks, his heartbreaking. She nods and then laughs, which turns into more coughing.

"I call myself Gemini, cause mushing our names together doesn't work…" her face falls, her mouth down turning in fear. "I don't wanna die but - but I think this was always going to happen, Expression can't stop fate," she cries and Kai groans, finally pulling her towards him but she cries out in pain and Kai panics. He has no skill at healing, never had any interest in it. He hadn't cared.

"I'm sorry! I don't know how to help you. Heal yourself, please?"

She shakes her head. "It's taking all my power stopping time. Nature really doesn't like it," she grins and then groans.

"What do I do? Tell me what to do?"

"Stop mom, stop her or she's gonna die," she urges weakly and Kai moves to stand but she takes his hand, smiling. "We were born for a reason. We lead the coven, as heretics and break the link," her voice is faint and he barely catches it. The last leader of the Gemini coven looks up at her father and with the last of her strength whispers. "We won't remember but you'll have dreams. Believe them, follow them and - and..."

"What?"

He never finds out. She stops breathing, green eyes gazing at nothing and the sunlight filtering through the trees starts to move as time begins. Kai jerks as Ames screams again from outside and Kai staggers to his feet. He finds Bonnie face down in the grass, the girls shaking her and Kai falls to his knees beside them.

"Bonnie?" he turns her over, sees the blood pouring from her nose and props her up. "Stop doing the spell Bonnie, stop," he urges but she carries on muttering, barely conscious. Kai shakes her and she frowns, finally seeing the tears on his face. The devastation.

"What's wrong?"

"...Oh god...I - I can't," Kai shakes his head, unable to say anything else. Lia shuffles closer to her father, clutching his arm while Ames takes her mother's hand. As the last deep golden rays of the sun illuminate them Kai grabs Bonnie's face between his bloody hands and kisses her.

"I'll find you," Bonnie whispers against his cheek, opening her eyes and then screams in anguish. Kai and Lia are gone. That last scream accompanies the setting of the sun.

* * *

_**a.n:** _

_Emotional whiplash? Sorry, I love angst even more than fluff._

_This is the end of the second arc. The third, "autumn," will take place seven years later. Each arc is like a stand alone story really but they all link together._

_Thanks for reading and please comment._


	17. Chapter 17

**_a.n:_ **

_annnd it's back. Okay so a quick recap: the girls have expression, which is balanced by having the heretics in the world but they all died. So due to a prophecy and the girls being a dangerous imbalance with unlimited power the Gemini and a few Bennett's separated them through a powerful curse, all memories altered. The following takes place eight years later, the twins are now thirteen but first a flashback..._

* * *

_Colombia River Highway, outside Astoria. 2018._

She is eating breakfast at night in a strange diner. As the milk and cereal are delivered he starts to rethink her choice but she eats it happily. As happily as she can considering the circumstances…

"Are – are you cold?" he asks and the five year old shakes her head. He had given her his zip up hoodie, which she practically swims in. He had not thought about clothing or food when he approached the nursery.

"I wish I could have this for dinner every day," she answers, spooning through the chocolate cereal. Kai smiles weakly, staring at the girl. In all the hours they had been driving she had barely said a word. Jo had told her that Lia was talkative and confident but she had just huddled in the backseat and watched for glimpses of the Columbia River as they drove north from Portland. He scares her, he must, she barely knows him and all his visits had previously been supervised. It is just them.

"What the hell have I done?" he mutters aloud again, the words starting to mean nothing. Lia looks at him in silence, big green eyes so achingly familiar that he looks away, his throat tightening. Nine months ago he had awaken from a coma, one he had been in for four years. In those dizzying months he met his daughter and found out the woman he had wronged terribly and loved in equal measure had died given birth. He had spent months swinging from one extreme to another, from apathy to a crushing guilt and then back to a pure and fierce love, one that he had no right to. Along with this came a string of the most terrible nightmares he had ever endured, ones that make him vomit on waking. He could not look or touch his daughter afterwards, the haunting image of her dead by his hand too much to cope with. He tells his sisters nothing of this, they distrust him enough. Lia had been raised by his sister Olivia and she had made her views on his potential parenting clear. You might as well ask a bear to hand over her cub to a rattle snake.

Kai rubs his eyes, looking back at his estranged child. It hurts to look at her, she looks so much like Bonnie but every time his chest fills like it will explode with joy. Lia was told he is her uncle but a week ago the little girl had told him quite firmly that she knows the truth. She dreamt of him, her father, long before they met. She had been deeply confused why they had lied and Kai had been speechless. After that Liv had cut his supervised visit short and repeatedly refused others. Kai had lost it.

Nursing a hangover and a different kind of pain he had cast an illusion over himself and took his daughter directly from kindergarten that day. He had created a perfect illusion of Lia, so they would not miss her, but as soon as Liv went to pick her up she would see through the magic instantly. They are cloaked, no locating spell will track them but that will not stop Liv for long. She will rain hell down on him.

"…Would you like some? It's really good. It's warm and yummy."

Kai smiles, thinking she is talking to him but he turns back to see Lia looking at the window. The glass is dark and reflects their images and he peers through. The parking lot beyond is empty. He watches her open her mouth and offer the spoon to her reflection. She snaps her mouth shut, pretending to eat with loud munching noises. Kai smiles softly.

"Who are you talking to?" he asks as she presses her small fingers against the reflection, over her cheek.

"No one. She's not really here."

"…She's you."

"No, I'm me," she says bossily, turning to him and he grins. Hadn't Jo said something about Lia having an imaginary friend and talking to herself? He hadn't realised this involved mirrors and reflections. His smile fades as she yawns. "Are you tired? Do – do you wanna go home?"

"I thought we were gonna see auntie Jo?"

"We – we are…" he had driven aimlessly at first, deciding against going back to his apartment in Portland. He had driven north, heading towards Jo but stopped at the diner before reaching Astoria. Liv will kill him, damn the rest of the coven, but Jo will not make this any easier…but out of the two he knows which one he needs.

"…Daddy?" Lia says quietly and he focuses on her, wide eyed. She had never called him that before.

"Yeah?"

"Am I in trouble?"

"What? No," he moves around until he is kneeling by her seat. "I just did something stupid and right now I need to get myself out of it. You're not in trouble, you're never trouble."

She smiles, eyeing his pale face and then leans over to kiss his cheek. He feels a small sting and Lia leans back with a giggle. Kai narrows his eyes.

"Did you just siphon me?"

"Am I in trouble now?"

"Oh you're good," he laughs along with her, forgetting how they got there and why. He had been ready to take her back but doing so will surely mean that he will never see her again. He cannot live with that. He is the rightful leader of their coven but the last few months since waking, and dealing with Bonnie's death, he had not been pulling his weight. His father had done so, as he has for decades, and Kai had not cared.

But if his family take his daughter from him he will have nothing. Bonnie, the woman he had almost destroyed and then painstakingly built a bridge back to her, is gone. Would she want him to leave Lia alone? His last memories of her had been in a snowy, empty world and she offered a fragile trust with a kiss. More than a kiss…

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Lia whispers and Kai shakes his head, coming back to his senses. His eyes prickle and he blinks them, smiling.

"You didn't, I'm not. Wait – wait here okay? I'm gonna give aunt Jo a call," he stands, exhaling and takes his cell phone out of his pocket. He switches it back on and as expected finds a dozen angry messages and texts from his sisters and father. They are unable to locate him, he had made sure of it but now he lowers the shield and sends one message to his twin and then heads back inside.

Kai watches Lia fall asleep as he waits, wrapped up in his coat and looks up when he feels his sister enter the diner. He had left the message half an hour ago, a simple sorry. He stares straight ahead but he can see her reflected in the window. Jo stands at a stiff distance, hands balling into fists and looks like she is stopping herself punching him.

"…You are so royally _fudged_ ," she hisses as she finally comes to his side and breathes out a sigh of relief when she sees Lia sleeping peacefully at the end of the booth. Jo sits beside her, opposite him but the snarl that she has probably been wearing since that afternoon starts to disappear. Kai gazes at his twin with a terrible hollow expression.

"Help me."

"…How? I helped you before, remember? You took my magic and promised never to show your face again."

Kai bares his teeth, leans forward and thrusts his hand at her. "Fuck magic! Take it back I don't care. I can't live like this anymore."

Jo jumps a little when he slaps the table, his empty eyes now blazing. She calms, feeling that traitorous pity crawling up her throat. "You know why she can't live with you Kai. Olivia has raised her since she was a new born."

"She's not her mother," he growls, sitting back. Jo nods.

"Lia knows that. We told her about Bonnie…but not you. You're just an uncle to her."

"She knows who I am," he answers tiredly. "She just knew."

"She's clever," Jo smiles gently and then sighs. "Kai…you understand why we've done this right? Do you _really_ think you can raise a child in a healthy way?"

"I'm different," he mumbles, avoiding her eyes and Jo nods.

"I know you've changed. I know you loved Bonnie, you loved her a lot. You don't even have to say it. I can see it on your face, the catch of your voice," she smiles sadly and Kai looks at her.

"I miss her."

"I know."

"She's dead because of me," he says gutturally and Jo shakes her head, casting a swift look at Lia but she still sleeps. Jo leans forward and does something that has never done with her twin before because he had never needed it: offer comfort.

"She died due to birth complications. Giving birth to a siphoner for a witch is dangerous but it's not your fault or hers," she says, looking at his daughter with a fierce love. "I know you're in pain, something I never thought possible or would believe but I know it's true. If you love your child as much as you loved her mother you'll work with us."

"Work with you? See her for an hour a week if I'm lucky? I'm her father," he scrubs tears angrily off his face.

"I know that. If this was normal you could fight for custody but it's not. The normal world thinks you disappeared in 1994 and when you got out you had even more blood on your hands. _That_ is what we want to spare her from, not what you might do but what you have done. She's innocent and she's already lost so much. Don't ruin her life with the memories in our heads." Jo finishes gently, clasping his hand over the table. She does not remember taking it. Kai stares at Lia for a long time, jaw clenched until finally he nods.

"Of course I won't tell her. I want to start over but I can't without her…without you. Will you _please_ help me?" he repeats again, staring at her with more desperation then when he was begging for his life. Just as then tears rim her eyes and she swallows pity but it will not be suppressed. This cry for help will undo her last ultimatum, her vicious request but her brother has absolutely no one. She thought she would be okay with that, be happy at his suffering. She is not.

"I'll help you."

* * *

_Astoria, Oregon. 2025._

The twins race up the street, kicking up wet leaves and disturbing puddles until they reach the front of the house. It has rained heavily since that morning, with fog rolling off the sea obscuring the houses at the bottom of the hill. Glowing orange blobs appear through the mist, lining the path to the door where more pumpkins sit on the porch. It is a perfect day for Halloween eve. A huge black cat sits on a white banister that wraps the porch. He watches the girls approach through a calm, slit-eyed gaze.

"Mom says he's a witch's familiar," one of the girls whispers, eyeing the cat distrustfully. It hasn't attacked them but it wasn't exactly friendly either. It had appeared a few weeks ago and seems to spend most of it's time prowling the parameter of the house like a watch dog.

"Kai probably cursed someone after the _Mariners_ lost. It's probably a _Yankees_ fan."

Their uncle had taken the loss hard. They laugh quietly, waiting for the door to open and their cousin to appear. They try to get there ten minutes early every morning otherwise they'd miss the bus to school. Their cousin is _not_ a morning person.

"…I know! I've got it! Bye dad!" Cecilia Parker flings open the door, rolling her eyes.

"Is he still mad?" Lucy Saltzman asks with relish as Ellie makes her way to the gate. Lia shrugs, scratching the black cat under his chin. Green eyes scrunch and he purrs.

"Not really but he's still being a hard ass. He's letting me go otherwise he knows I'd call social services _and_ burn all his stupid baseballs cards."

Lucy giggles, shaking her head. Lia acts like her father is the worst person in the world when she gets in trouble but Lucy and Ellie think he is wonderful. He's so funny, acts more like a best friend than a parent. They wouldn't get away with talking back to their father. Most of the time…

"I heard that. Maybe _I'll_ call them and say my daughter is a pumpkin thief," Kai Parker appears at the door. He is second in command of the Gemini Coven, after their grandfather, and mostly deals with identification and protection of siphoners. Basically what the other Gemini don't want to do. He winks at his niece in greeting before looking at Lia. She purses her mouth, not impressed. She is thirteen but acts and looks older. She also has magic, though a siphon, while Lucy and Ellie are still waiting for their magic to emerge. If it does not their coven is in big trouble...

"I didn't _steal_ them. It was truth or dare. I dared Mo to take them and he did. I didn't know he and his stupid friends would bring them here," she moves her hand at the assortments of vegetables and Kai smiles knowingly.

"Whoever is responsible they better get these moved unless they want to re-enact a scene from the _Exorcist_ ," he points at a pumpkin that is currently spewing its seedy orange guts out over the floor. The girls laugh and grimace as Kai smiles proudly. "I made that."

"Gross," Lia laughs and quickly hugs her father before she and Lucy run for the bus, Ellie waving them over. "Don't forget to call the owner!" Lia shouts and Kai nods, looking at the cat.

* * *

Kai moves back into the house, the black cat following as he fills a bowl full of food. Their black and white husky with brilliant blue eyes, dubbed Damon, whimpers as the cat passes and hides under a table. A month ago the cat had walked into their house like he owned it, jumping onto Lia's lap as they watched TV. He had been dirty and clearly very hungry. Kai had sensed something approaching for a long time before this but could not pinpoint what or who it was. A weird cat had been a bummer, especially after the amazing dreams he had been having. But no dream woman, just a fleabag who turns his nose up at tinned food. No locating spell to find the owners worked, which is why the cat is still with them. However the vet had found a tracker and provided a number.

"Did you really trek all the way here from Virginia? Did you hitchhike? Do you kill and eat the driver?" he asks the cat, who ignores him and Kai smiles, picking up the phone. "If they want you back you better be prepared for a _long_ walk east cause I ain't taking you," Kai says as the phone rings and the cat gives him a supercilious look, which makes him laugh. He often gets the impression the strange beast understands every word they say. An automated voice asks him to leave a message after the beep and nothing else and Kai speaks clearly.

"Hi. My name is Kai Parker, from Oregon. I think I found your cat? I took him to the vet and the tracker gave me this number. He's called Mr Cuddles, which is a total lie by the way. He's the most uncuddly cat ever. Um, I hope you get this. Could you call me back?" Kai gives his phone number and repeats his name before hanging up.

"There. I know the east coast sucks but at least it doesn't rain so much right?" he says to Mr Cuddles, who meows in response before curling up under the kitchen window in a weak patch of sunlight. Kai stares at the cat, unfocused and knows with a keen surety that twists his stomach the cat not only comes from Virginia but a specific town: _Mystic Falls_.

He has not stepped foot in the place since 2013 and he has no intention of doing so now. The only woman he loved was born there and because of him she now lies buried there. She died in childbirth and had been dead for four years when he awoke from his coma. The town holds too many ghosts, too many sins and for the sake of his daughter they have to lie in peace. Whoever owns the cat will have to come to him, or they can meet half way. Kai inhales, blinking his eyes and gets moving. He has to pack before their flight leaves tomorrow.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia._

Bonnie wakes with a jerk, gasping before slumping back down. The same dream has woken her for the last month, one that she has not had since Ames was ten. Always the same: a man slips through shadows, running down dark hallways and he is just within reach. She never catches him, getting lost in the dark before spotting a glimpse of him in a window pane and the chase starts again.

The last time she had the dream it had been leading up to the worst day of her life. They had been on vacation to celebrate Amelia's tenth birthday. She had been so excited to visit Disney World in Florida. They had been eating ice creams under a large umbrella, watching happy families passing when Ames had gotten up to go to the nearby lavatory. She had been feeling ill for a week, sweating and having trouble sleeping but she had been adamant about going to the theme park for her birthday. It was just a cold and it was not going to stop her. Bonnie had watched her enter the restroom, holding her mint chocolate chip ice cream for her, and tried to push the foreboding that had been following her for weeks. That morning she had dreamt of the running man and this time she had touched his back with her fingertips. She woke sobbing. She had seen him before, in another world but Kai was as lost in the dark as the figment in her dreams.

With these memories circling her head she felt the exact moment her daughter stopped breathing, the slowing of her heart as her knees gave way. Bonnie had fallen to her own as she tried to stand, ice creams on the floor, and half crawled to the restroom to find Amelia lying on the ground dead. For ten seconds all Bonnie could do was look at the surprised green eyes staring blankly up at the sky, ten seconds where nothing moved or laughed or sang, ten seconds when her whole life shrunk to that vast space between moments.

Then Amelia breathed in, jerking and the paralysis that had descended on the entire world broke as Bonnie had run screaming to her daughter. Ames had stared in bewilderment and that expression had been a fixture on her face throughout the hospital visits and examinations where all professionals had come to the same conclusion: there was nothing medically wrong with her daughter. She had simply died for ten seconds and then awoken.

So suffice to say it had been Amelia worst birthday but she had to wear her mother down for three years to agree to go back to the theme park. Bonnie had agreed but they would not be going to Florida and not for her birthday but Halloween. They would be leaving tomorrow.

"I feel fine! That was just a weird magic blip," Ames had assured her a week ago, making Bonnie smile thinly.

"Blip? That place is cursed."

"It's not cursed, it's the happiest place on earth! The perfect place to die and get reborn!" she cried and Bonnie shook her head. Her daughter had a weird sense of humour. She had once asked Bonnie if she could change her middle name to Lazarus…

"No rebirths for another century or two or three," Bonnie had kissed and hugged her roughly, making Ames laugh and Bonnie had booked the tickets. Now she gets out of bed, wishing that she had never agreed. The dark running dreams had started again, ones that she now regards as a bad omen. As the sun begins to rise she checks in on Amelia and finds her asleep, curled under her covers.

Posters of her favourite boyband line the walls, along with an enchanted tapestry that she had made with her classmates. The piece, a patch work quilt, is crafted with wards of protection and peace. Amelia loves designing things and recently she has moved onto textiles and jewellery. The latter is a very successful occupation for a witch, if you have the clients, which Bonnie had found out Ames does. She had started selling small charms at night school, which she attends three times a week, to other young witches. Most of her classmates are not aware that she is a siphoner as Stefan had gifted her with a tiny thimble of his blood and Bonnie's crafty daughter had made it into a pendant. She draws on the perpetual magic within, which now hangs around her neck.

Bonnie smiles and closes the door and heads down to make herself some coffee. Despite the dreams she wants this vacation to go without a hitch, even if she has to wrap the whole theme park in a protection quilt. An hour later she hears her daughter moving above as Bonnie makes scrambled eggs and notices that the answer machine is flashing. As Ames shuffles sleepily into the kitchen Bonnie points at the machine. Next to it are a few missing cat posters that they had not put up.

"Could you get that?"

Ames grumbles a reply, yawning and hits the button on the phone as Bonnie serves the eggs. Ames speaks from the hallway.

" _Two_ accident insurance claims this time. Mom have you recently been in a boating mishap that was _not_ an act of god?"

"Not that I recall. Anything else?"

"…Your boyfriend wants to know if we want a ride to the airport. He says he'll put the sirens on."

Bonnie rolls her eyes, laughing. "Matt's not my boyfriend."

"He also doesn't know how to use a cell phone…"Ames quips and then falls silent and the faint mumbling from the speaker disappears until Bonnie hears a slapping sound.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It says there's another message but I don't hear anything," her daughter says and Bonnie leans back to see Ames holding the speaker up to her ear. "I think it's busted. I can hear _something_ but it's too quiet, like whispering," she lowers the machine, shrugging. "Probably another insurance scam tactic."

"Huh, that's weird. Come on, eat and get ready for school."

Amelia switches off the machine, the too quiet message forgotten as she wiggles excitedly. Only one day left until Halloween and they fly to California and attend the biggest party that a small town like Mystic Falls couldn't hope to throw. It will be the best day ever and if they are super lucky they may even come back to Mr Cuddles waiting on the porch for them. He had been missing for a month but he would return, she had dreamt of it.

* * *

Kai Parker watches his sister grind up the herbs with a pestle and mortar, the capsules lined up and waiting to be filled beside it. Kai fiddles with a pill bottle.

"I feel fine. The crop produced a good batch this year," he says, answering her question and Jo nods.

"Good but not enough," she sighs, turning to him. Their family have always been inventive, turning their interests towards creative pursuits, discovery and design. Jo had patented a number of medical instruments over the years and it had been that creativity that had eased them through their initial reconnecting, not that there had been much to connect on. Even as teenagers and despite his sociopathy they had worked on projects together. Back then it had been as metalsmiths, which was bizarre for teenagers but they both enjoyed the pieces coming together, fixing problems…individual puzzles usually ended up with them sabotaging each other efforts unless they worked together.

Now this medical experimentation and research is not a pursuit but a desperate race. Three years ago Kai had become quietly ill, had kept it from everyone, waving it off as a passing ailment. On the morning of Lia's tenth birthday he had woken woozy and sweating, which he had managed to hide but when he started throwing up blood and collapsed outside Jo's house he could not pretend any longer. He had experienced this illness before but he had thought himself cured when his twin had relinquished her magic. Three years later they are nowhere closer to finding a cure, only that it is magical in origin. He is in perfect health apart from this.

That day his heart had stopped for ten seconds and every single person in the coven had collapsed, a ripple effect that spread over America and further. Ten seconds and when Kai awoke his immediate family and party guests were lying disorientated in the grass with him. His daughter. They had awoken but others had not been so lucky. Since then he and his sister have worked relentlessly to find a cure.

"Lia was super pissed at me this morning. I threatened to ground her."

"You?" Jo asks with incredulity, laughing and Kai rolls his eyes as she fills the pill bottle in his hand.

"Yes. I can discipline her."

"Riiight. That's why you only threatened to, she's not _actually_ grounded."

"I thought she stole something but it was someone else. Well I think she actually manipulated someone else to do it, probably without them even knowing," he explains proudly. "So there was no need for a sanction. I'll be picking up Liv at the airport," he reminds Jo abruptly, remembering himself. Lia sees Olivia as the closest thing she has to a mother, more so than Jo but Lia deciding to live with Kai in Astoria had been a hard adjustment for everyone. Liv visits frequently.

"Remember when she called dad a miserable bastard?"

Kai laughs. "She was six. Lia heard _you_ calling him that so it was totally your fault. I took her to her first game after that. Well, the one Liv let me take her to," he adds and their smiles dim a little. Kai had been in a coma since they had dragged him out of a New York harbour thirteen years before. Bonnie Bennett had stayed with Jo and Liv until she died giving birth. Kai had awoken four years later. Any doubts that her brother was a changed man was dissolved at his reaction to the truth they had tried to hide: he was a father and the woman he loved was dead. Jo will never forget the feel of his tears soaking into her shoulder, the desperate clinging to her like he was drowning. It had been the first time she had ever seen Kai cry.

However he had been missing from his daughter's life for four years and coming back into their life had been chaotic but rather than fight for his daughter he had stepped back, obeying his family. They had all been wary about putting Lia in the care of a reformed killer, one who had ripped their family apart. None more than Kai, who had been utterly bewildered at the seismic changes in his life, so much so that leading the coven had fallen to Joshua Parker, as it had for decades.

Since then building his way back to his family had been a slow, painstaking process and she knows he would not have been able to accomplish it without her or Liv. Their little sister had taken a very long time to trust Kai and deep down she likely never will completely. She had given Kai a choice, an ultimatum: be a father or a leader but not both. He had not even hesitated and Lia has been living with him on and off for the last two years.

"Sooo, got your costume yet? Don't tell me: cousin It?" Kai points at this twin who gives him a heavy lidded look.

"I'm not the one with all the hair." They were going for a Addams Family theme this year. They could just go as the Parker's, Ric had suggested, much weirder.

* * *

"A siphoner has come forward. A kid from California," Kai explains as he drives though the wet streets of Astoria, heading back from the airport. Liv nods, only half listening. Along with Jo and her twins she'll be coming with them. She would not dress up, much to Kai's disappointment but he still had a day to break her. One of them had to be Uncle Fester...

"Homeless?"

"Almost. A runaway. His parent's contacted dad," Kai explains as they drive up the hill towards his house. In exchange for Lia knowing nothing of his dark past he had given up his title as leader but he was still involved in coven business, where it suits him. His daughter is a siphoner and he will not let her be subjugated to the same dismissal and ridicule that he and others had to endure while growing up. He had been liaising with siphoners for years now, trying to build bridges. It is a long way to make amends for what he had done to his family but it was a start and if this was a little self-serving then so be it. His daughter was the most important thing, nothing else. Kai sighs, watching his neighbours waving at him as they pass. One beautiful woman, a witch, beams at him as they pull up and Liv cocks an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Wasn't she all over you at the birthday party? You can't even wave at her?" Liv smirks as Kai scowls and then pointedly waves at Naomi with a friendly smile as they get out of the car. She had moved in a few months back and they had a drunken fumble that he can barely recall. She was single and even though she had just moved into her own home she seemed prepared to move across the street and into his if he gave her the word.

"She thinks I'm normal," he moans and Liv snorts. To an outsider Kai Parker is a charming, funny, handsome guy and that normalising charade is one that he had been perfecting since he was nine years old. It was no longer a total act but that non-threatening persona is one easily worn and readily accepted. Women are drawn to him, seeing stability amongst these other attributes. Despite this he has had no serious relationships over the years but sometimes he needs someone to wake up to and bites down the pain when it's not the right face smiling at him. The stability is a lie, he hangs on by a thread and would let go if not for one person.

"Damn. Did you rob a farmer?" Liv asks, motioning at the pumpkins that decorate the garden and house. Lia's friend had not come to take them away, either through fear or stubbornness, and so Kai had to cast an illusion down the whole street so the theft would not go noticed. And his house clearly wins for best display this year so he is secretly pleased. As Kai explains they head into the house, the cat meowing around their ankles and the dog is still quivering under the dining table. Kai stops at the answering machine but no one has responded.

"Guess you're mine for now," he says to Mr Cuddles, who is sitting directly before the usually talkative and excitable husky. The dog whimpers at the cat's heavy lidded stare. Kai shakes his head. "Big baby."

* * *

Samson yaps and huffs around her ankles, the tan pug wanting to go out for a walk.

"Patience you fat muffin," Bonnie waves his lead and plays back the phone messages again. Ames had been right, the machine recorded something but it is so quiet she cannot make it out. Humming she cups her hands around the speaker and utters a spell to amplify the sound. A spark suddenly ignites from the socket and Bonnie jumps back with a yelp.

"What the hell," she swears and pulls the plug from the wall. The machine is fried. As a teenager she had destroyed a few electronic devices but that had been years ago, she had grown skilled but accidents can still happen. She looks down at her dog, who scratches and barks at the door.

"You're doing this because the big boss is missing," Mr Cuddles was the alpha male of the house and now with him gone Samson is pushing his luck. With them leaving tomorrow her mother is coming from Monroe to dog and house sit. Bonnie thinks she could do with the company but her strange mother likes the solitude.

"Okay, stop yapping at me. You wouldn't try this with Mr Cuddles would you?" Bonnie opens the door and finds Stefan Salvatore standing on the porch. This explains the dog's whining. Bonnie smiles at the vampire, who since she had returned to Mystic Falls had become a surprisingly close friend. There had been a time in high school where she felt something forming between them, a gentle trust but that had got buried under years' worth of fights and separations. Damon is dead because she could not save him, _would_ not but his brother does not blame her. Bonnie often wonders if a part of him is relieved because there is an unmissable _lightness_ to Stefan now. She does not ask.

"He loves me really, don't you Sam?" he peers down at the dog, who barks once and Stefan straightens. They walk from her house and head up the road towards the wood. "How's Ames?" he asks as they enter the shelter of the trees and Bonnie lets the dog off the leash. The little pug dashes into the leaves, overjoyed.

"She's super, super excited to go tomorrow but…"

"But?"

"I have this bad feeling but she's not worried at all," Bonnie says, staring up at him and he draws her into his arms. When had she got used to the feel of him, that cold snap of touching something dead? His skin is warm but the magic running through his blood is dark and cold. She hardly notices now.

"It's natural to feel worried but she'll be okay. The Gemini leader was ill but from what I managed to gather he's been okay since."

"Joshua Parker?" Since escaping the prison world without Kai she had cut ties with the Gemini completely and they pretend she and her daughter do not exist. This is fine with Bonnie, who does not want her life disrupted with their insanity. She sometimes dreams of the alternative, of Kai leading the coven and them even becoming a family but that is impossible. The dissolving of the prison worlds took Kai with it. He is in oblivion and she prays that wherever that is he is at peace.

"Bonnie? Try to have fun," Stefan smiles, tilting his head and Bonnie focuses on him.

"You can talk. When the last time you had a picture taken with Mickey?"

"1978."

Bonnie laughs. "I might have to bring you back a gift."

"Mouse ears?" he asks and she grins.

"Don't ruin the surprise," she smirks, gazing at him as he peers through the trees, knowing exactly where the little dog is. Once she found it impossible to look at Stefan for more than a few seconds without feeling sick but she had promised herself that once she was free she would smile at him and only see Stefan Salvatore and no one else. It had been hard but the man responsible for slitting her father's throat is just as lost as Kai.

They walk after the dog, talking quietly about the trip, the newly reopened boarding house that Stefan runs and Bonnie's teaching. Since Ric left and Atticus Shane had died the Occult professor position at Whitmore had opened up and without her friends encouragement she would not have taken it. She also suspects some compulsion might have been involved but once the faculty realised she was Sheila Bennett's granddaughter they had practically thrown her a party.

"Ames wants to make more blood pendants," Bonnie says as they wrangle the runaway pug. Stefan huffs a laugh.

"Is she gonna set up an Etsy shop next?"

"Don't even put that idea in her head," she warns and they laugh. Amelia is shy and wary around people, but once she is comfortable a firecracker emerges. "She's young but she's got so many ideas."

"It occupies her time…ever thought of having more kids? Give her a sibling?" Stefan asks as they head towards the town square. Bonnie gives him a heavy lidded look that makes him smirk at once.

"Got any candidates?"

"Hmm I can think of a few…" he grins at her and Bonnie flushes. They had never so much as kissed but this flirtatious banter had crept into their dynamic over the years. There was no Damon or Elena any more, it was just them, especially with Caroline working in another state. It is harmless but sometimes on lonely nights she remembers the way her heart had raced for him as a teenager. Raced but never felt like it would burst into flames as it had for Kai but by the time she realised those feelings it had been too late. Again the dream of chasing Kai through the dark clouds her mind and she is left with an ache. Once they had dreamt of making love on a lazy warm morning but it had never come to pass…

"I better go, got last minute packing," Bonnie says, distracted and Stefan nods.

"Got a costume?"

"Of course. I'm Morticia Addams. Ames is Wednesday. I made Samson a Pugsley sweater," she answers and Stefan chuckles before he leans down and kisses her cheek.

"Everything will be okay," he says into her ear and she nods, taking his words to heart. She will not let her anxiety cloud the day, especially as they're flying thousands of miles instead of going down to Florida. They would have a great time and come back with only good stories to share...

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_I plan on wrapping up this "arc" in two or more chapters. Next chapter certain paths will cross..._


	18. Chapter 18

Bonnie adjusts her long black wig and thanks god she never went with a complete hobble skirt because otherwise she would never catch up with her daughter. Amelia dashes from one trick or treat station after another, an orange basket in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head swinging from her hand. They were heading towards the parade and then the villain's performance, if Ames can resist the candy at every corner...

"You'll fall into a sugar coma," Bonnie gasps as she spots a bench and claims it before another tired looking parent can. Ames runs over to her, pigtails bouncing and grabs her mother's hands.

"Come on! The Sanderson Sister's are singing! Listen," she says and in the distance Bonnie can hear cackling and then the character's from the 1993 movie start to sing _I Put a Spell on You_. She used to love the song but Kai would sing it to her when she was still having trust issues with him and it is now a little tainted. Kai putting some kind of love spell on her had raced through her mind constantly once. But no magic can force love.

"I just realised that the Addams Family is not a Disney thing. Think they might kick us out?" Bonnie asks, getting to her feet and Ames laughs. She is dressed in a simple black dress with a white collar, black tights and vintage ankle boots. They had been the only members of the kooky family she has seen so far.

"If anyone tries to throw us out I'll hex 'em," Ames says and unlike all the other girls and boys dressed as witches and wizards, this little Wednesday Addams means it.

* * *

"You rang?"

"Yeah that's getting old fast Ric," Jo says through a stiff smile to her husband. As the tallest one amongst them Kai had pressured him to come as Lurch the butler. Kai, dressed in a dark subtle pinstriped suit as Gomez Addams, grins at his brother in law as he sets down the drinks he had got from the bar. They are sitting in the beautiful New Orleans Square, the girls playing in the distance but in eye view. They had agreed to meet up at the statue of Walt Disney if anyone got lost. Jo's twins laugh, twirling their toy lightsabers in the air.

"I still think Lucy and Ellie should have gone as the twins from the Shining."

"Does that make you Jack?" Jo asks and Kai smirks before he looks aside, letting it fall. Being chased by an axe wielding maniac is not exactly funny when you pretty much have. Jo, dressed as the batty grandmother, talks to Liv who had been the only one to resist Kai's demands at dress up.

Kai sighs and stands up, leaving them to talk. Last night and this morning he had been feeling strange, the nightmares that he had not experienced for years terrorising him again. Gleefully sending a knife into his daughter, who seems to grow older with each dream, is not something he will ever confess, no matter how badly it affects him. It was at those moments he wished he had no capacity to feel terror but then reminds himself the only reason he is tortured by these nightmares is precisely because he once felt nothing for the pain he inflicted. Even so he wakes with a pulsing need to hit something, usually himself.

_Stop thinking you fucking freak. Stop._

Kai inhales deeply and moves to the entrance of the busy courtyard and watches Lia and her cousins sitting on the ground counting out their candy haul. He curls his fingers and the lollipop in Lia's hand disappears.

"Hey!" Lia turns around to find her father sucking on the sweet. "Get your own!"

"Sharing is caring. How much do you have now?"

"We cleaned out two stalls," Ellie quips, showing Kai her candy filled basket and he smirks.

"No more, unless you want the Halloween tooth fairy to visit? He only comes out tonight so you know he's working overtime to put food on his table."

"What? There's no such thing…and we're not babies anymore," Lia adds scornfully. "I've never heard of him," she then follows up doubtfully. When you are a witch in a secret world full of vampires and werewolves then maybe fairies of the dental department are not so far fetched. It is very hard to tell when her father is lying…

"That's because he believes in preventative measures…" he smiles innocently, turning back and after a second he hears their shrill cries because half their candy is missing. Kai laughs, making the pile of candy rain down directly on his sisters and thinks about what to have to eat and how high his daughter will be bouncing once all the consumed sugar kicks in…

* * *

"He'll give it back, right?" Lucy asks as they look at their depleted candy rations. Lia snorts.

"Yeah, the wrappers. He's such an idiot," she sighs with a mixture of irritation and love. He is a grown up but sometimes she feels the older of the two. She looks back at the food courtyard, sees that the adults are occupied and looks back at her cousins. Ellie and Lucy, who should be next in line for the Gemini coven leadership, are powerless and as such Lia had emerged as the leader of their little circle. She is a siphoner and their coven views it as a shameful condition but as the granddaughter of Joshua Parker she is spared the brunt of ridicule. She is just thankful that she does not have to worry about merging in the future, especially as her father is technically the leader. Aunt Jo is getting older and it really falls on her father to produce another set of heirs…

"Lia?"

"Huh?"

"You okay?" Ellie whispers in concern and Lia shrugs.

"I heard granddad talking last week. He was telling dad that another set of twins would be needed," Lia says quietly, leaning down and cousins nod sadly.

"Mom says that even if we had magic and we did the merge ritual it wouldn't work."

"Only twins of the leader can do it," Lia leans back, frowning. Would her father be pressured to have more children in the future? Marry? Lia knows that her mother is long dead but her dad loved her and still does. He never has girlfriends, not really and Lia had got used to it just being the two of them. She does not want that to change. It had been a rough journey to get where they are now. Lia stands suddenly, looking up as fireworks explode in the distance and for just a moment she can see the display perfectly, like she is looking through someone else's eyes. She stumbles, hand going to her head and her cousins jump up.

"You okay?"

"Woah, that was weird…I'm okay," she says. When she was a very little girl she used to think she was talking to someone else, _seeing_ someone else but now she can barely remember but occasionally she will get flashes and glimpses of things. Her dad says it's down to a possible clairvoyant ability. Whatever it is the flash she just experienced had been the most powerful yet.

"Did you see something?" Lucy asks seriously. She knows about Lia's strange visions. Lia looks up and then after a hesitating moment she shrugs.

"Fireworks…Listen I'm not going to sit here looking at all the candy we now don't have. I'm gonna get some more," she says and picks up two baskets. Ellie and Lucy frown, looking back at the restaurant where the adults are laughing. Their father waves and they wave back with their Star Wars sabers.

"They said we had to stay right here. We'll get in trouble if we're not," Lucy warns but Lia laughs.

"No one is gonna get in trouble. I'll make an illusion so it looks like I'm still here. I'll be right back," she says and before either of them can argue she creates a perfect image of herself in her costume and at the same moment cloaks herself. The switch is subtle and fast and they all look back to see if their family has noticed. Kai looks up once, stares and then goes back to talking to Jo.

"This is a bad idea. I know your dad is soft but I think he'll get really mad if he sees you're missing," Lucy says worriedly, about to move to Lia but she holds out a hand and motions for them to sit. The fake Lia does, putting the pieces of candy back into the basket one by one. Her cousins sit slowly, looking unsure.

"I'm counting on you not to screw this up. I promise I'll get even more candy then before," she says and with a grin she races off, leaving the girls to stare at the illusion who is still counting candy.

"I swear she likes getting us in trouble," Ellie grumbles but they sit and wait, neither daring to look at their family for fear of giving the game away.

* * *

Ames grips her braids in a hand and tugs, wishing that the line to Tarzan's Treehouse was shorter. She wants to watch the fireworks from up there. She could cast a spell and make a few people leave but her mother would disapprove. They are in Adventure Land, near New Orleans Square where her mom wants to sit down and eat next.

"We can come back?" Bonnie says, growing tired. She is hungry and the candy has given her a headache. She also needs to pee. Spotting a lavatory her mother orders her not to move and Ames nods vaguely as the line starts moving.

"If I'm not here I'm inside. Don't freak out okay?"

"Just don't leave the place until I get back," Bonnie warns and not able to hold on anymore she rushes away to the nearest restroom. Ames shakes her head and then looks up as a stray firework explodes above them. For a moment she feels an intense bout of vertigo and almost knocks over the toddler behind her.

"Sorry, must have looked up too quick," she mutters and looks back as the line moves again. The excitement and impatience she had felt starts to dwindle as a strange apprehension settles on her. She feels like she is being watched. Looking behind her she sees an assortment of kids and parents, no one she knows. It is harmless but she feels seconds from bolting. Something is wrong, something is coming and she should run.

"…I've been waiting for half an hour," she grumbles stubbornly to herself, ignoring the gut instinct that her mother and grandmother constantly tell her to trust but it clashes against her resolve. "Nothing is wrong, just chill out," she mouths to herself and then from the corner of her eye she sees something that makes her heart leap in fear and she spins around. A girl is wearing exactly the same outfit, rushing through the crowd quickly. One moment she is there and the next she is gone but she had caught a glimpse of her face. A face just like...Heart racing madly Ames stands frozen and does not move until someone suddenly grabs her arm. She screams.

"There you are!" A girl in a Star Wars outfit says loudly, while her identical twin nods gravely. One is dressed as Leia, the other Rey.

"…W-what?"

"Come on! The illusion is fading," The twin dressed as Rey urges and tugs Ames out of the line. Dazed and bewildered she follows the twins that she has never seen before and then stops abruptly, making the other twin bang into her.

"Uh...I should get back."

"We know! Why do you think we came to look for you? If we go now they won't notice you left! Come on!" Princess Leia drags her and Ames, who considers with a bemused detachment that she is being kidnapped by two twins dressed as Star Wars characters, lets them lead her away. Maybe she does know them and forgotten? They _do_ seem a little familiar. Once they reach the entrance to New Orleans Square Ames relaxes a little. Her mother wanted to go here next, maybe she had asked these girls to find her?

"Did my mom ask you to bring me here?" she asks and the twins look at her with utmost bewilderment.

"…No? Are you feeling okay? Did you eat too much candy?"

"Oh my god she did! Look she didn't even get any," the other says in disgust and then they promptly let go and sit in a small courtyard outside a busy restaurant. Candy sits in small heaps.

Ames licks her lips, that feeling that had descended on her previously now blaring through her entire body. She breathes through her nose, trying not to be sick as the twins collect their candy canes and head into the restaurant to where a family is eating under an umbrella. Amelia balls her fists, chest heaving and with no thought she walks slowly towards them, like something is pulling her forward. A man dressed as Lurch smiles at her and a woman with brilliant blue eyes pulls a seat up for her as the twins sit down.

"He's gone to get a refill," a woman with thick curly blonde hair says, the only one not dressed up. She motions at an empty chair and Ames says nothing, just stares at the strange family with wide eyes. The woman frowns.

"You okay? Sit down," she urges gently and Ames does not think her knees will bend but she practically collapses into the offered chair. The blonde woman leans forward, lifting a hand towards Ames' face but she sits back, shaking her head. The older woman smirks and shrugs. "We told you not to eat all that candy."

"Aww do you feel sick?" Lurch asks and Granny Addams looks at her with concern. Ames looks between them and bursts into laughter, gripping the arms of the chair until her knuckles go white.

"I'm dreaming…" she mutters and the twins frown.

"What kind of accent is that?" one asks, laughing but before Ames can speak a man drops into the vacant seat beside her. He is dressed as Gomez Addams but his fake moustache is smeared. The woman with blue eyes motions to it and he tuts and begins wiping it away with a wet napkin.

"Told ya I should have just grown it out," he grumbles and then pushes a glass of water towards Ames. "I asked for sugar free," he jokes and finally looks at her. He freezes, taking in her wide eyes and stiff body. "You okay?"

"She's feels sick," the blonde says and he nods, looking at her with pity. Ames had felt sick but at the sight of the man her body has gone numb. Her throat tightens and she swallows convulsively as her chest suddenly thrums with contained sobs, so intense it rattles her ribs. Seeing the tears welling in her eyes the man leans forward suddenly, concerned.

"What's wrong? Lia?"

"…That – that's not my name," she answers and with a strangled cry she jumps to her feet. "I don't – I don't understand! Something's wrong! I want my mom. Where's my mom?" she screams and they stare at her in shocked silence and in that moment she pushes back the chair and runs.

Kai stares as his daughter as she begins to cry, her chest heaving with contained sobs. Something in him cracks at the sight but something else grows very, very still. She jumps to her feet, screaming at them and as she runs away the shock that had settled over Kai snaps away. He stands up, eyes over bright. He bares his teeth.

"That wasn't Lia," he says and his family blink in confusion.

"What? Of – of course it was…" Jo utters, staring at the girl as she runs away from their table. When she looks back Jo sees that her twin's eyes are not only oddly bright but wet. "Kai…what's going on?"

"I don't know, I don't know…oh god, where is she?" he gasps and then chases after the girl who had looked identical to Lia. Ellie and Lucy stare at each other, both deeply confused.

"But she was dressed as Wednesday Addams…"

* * *

Lia smiles in accomplishment. Her baskets are weighed down with candy that will feed her family for a week. However that is not the only heavy thing and as she dances from one foot to the other she looks at the nearby lavatory. Her family are probably about to eat and will be calling her and her cousins over.

"Really gotta go. I can tell them the truth if they ask where I am," she muses and heads towards the restroom, passing a line to a big treehouse. She does not give it a second glance. Two minutes later she sighs, washing her hands and in the mirror she glances at a woman who exits a toilet and comes to the sink beside hers. She smirks. The woman is dressed as Morticia Addams.

"Hi mom," she quips and the woman looks at her.

"Hi yourself. I thought you were lining up?" she asks and Lia frowns as she walks to the hand drier.

"Um, no. I just needed to pee," she says, a little weirded out. She should get back to her dad. She turns, about to give a brief goodbye when she finally looks at the woman. She wears a long black wig and a figure hugging dress but her face is golden, not porcelain. Green eyes peer at her quizzically.

"You feeling okay honey?"

Lia opens her mouth to answer but she has lost her voice. She has seen that face before, in dreams and one battered picture that her father keeps in his wallet. It was a black and white one and they had both been dressed like a couple from the turn of the century. He had said it had been a joke, they had time and found the camera equipment. Her eyes are green, just like hers.

"…Are you a ghost?" she asks, her body shaking, and the woman stills.

"What?"

"Mommy?"

"Yes. What's wrong?" she says as Lia bursts into tears, suddenly overwhelmed. The woman who looks like her dead mother moves forward in concern, arms reaching out but Lia stumbles back.

"No. This – this is a sick joke. An illusion," she cries harder, half wanting to push the woman away and half wanting to fall into her arms.

"Amelia, it's okay. It's me," Bonnie Bennett says softly, her eyes wide with alarm and at the name Lia jerks back again. Whoever the woman is, ghost or lookalike, she does not know her name. Tears rolling down her face she tries to calm herself but the dizziness that beset her earlier washes through her head again and she falls back against the wall.

"What's happening?" she moans, holding her head and the woman comes forward and takes Lia into her arms. At the contact all the denials and confusion disappear and Lia gasps, her eyes widening. "…It's you. It's really you," she starts to cry hard and her mother who died giving birth to her leans back and cups her face.

"Who else would I be?" she asks gently but the worry in her eyes increases as she touches Lia's face. She brushes her hand over her forehead, eyes searching her weeping face and for a moment her smile falls. Doubt clouds her gaze, just for a moment but Lia sees it. But then Bonnie is smiling and drawing her from the wall and out of the restroom, talking about fresh air and a bench. They sit and her mother puts her arm around her and Lia huddles against her side as the fireworks begin.

* * *

"Wait!"

Ames jumps at the sound of the man's voice and looks back to see him gaining on her. Since seeing the twins she had felt like her bones had turned to stone but now her legs are rubber and they give way as she feels a trace of magic against her back. _His_ magic. He was a witch.

"No!" she falls and lands near to where she had been lining up. She gets on her knees but a hand wraps around her arm and the man forces her around.

"Is this an illusion? Where's my daughter?" he asks quietly, trying to keep calm but his jaw clenches and his nostrils flare. Ames shakes her head, trying not to cry.

"I don't know. Please let me, I don't know. Let me go," she begs and he blinks, eyes filling with guilt and he lets her go. Ames paddles back until her back hits a tree. The man remains kneeling in the grass, showing his palms.

"I'm sorry, I - I never meant to scare you. What – what's your name?" he asks, his voice wavering like he is stopping himself crying.

"…Amelia."

"Amelia, that's nice…are - are you here alone?" he asks and she shakes her head warily, using the tree to get to her feet. He remains on his knees. "You – you look so much like her," he utters weakly, shaking his head but Ames doesn't understand. She wants her mom.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Malachai," he says and the way he says it makes her think he is lying. His mouth twists. She steps back as he gets to his feet, his face falling as sees her backing away from him.

"I have to go," she says and he nods. His eyes search over her face and something desperate enters his gaze.

"Where's your mom?"

"I don't know," she starts crying again and he reaches for her. She steps away, shaking her head. She is scared but not because he is a total stranger but because he is _not_. Looking at his face is like looking at someone she once knew in a dream. It makes her feel like her entire body and mind are being held together with string and bits of wool. She feels like she is coming apart staring at him but the longer she does the vague face he bares becomes more solid. She _knows_ those eyes.

"You're a witch aren't you? Do I know you?" she asks and he laughs, a hollow sound. He rubs at his mouth.

"I have no idea. Do - do you have a twin Amelia?" again his voice catches.

"No, I'm an only child. I have to find my mom okay? I feel really weird," she utters and walks off the grass. He follows at a distance and she sees that his family are looking at them from the entrance to the square. Seeing them he freezes and they come to his side.

"Is she back?!" he barks at the two women who come to him. They shake their head, looking utterly bewildered.

Ames looks at him, sees the sudden madness on his face and runs again. She rounds the treehouse attraction, losing the man and his family. She heads to the restroom where her mother last was but as she gets there she comes to a skidding stop. Her mother is walking away, her arm around someone else.

"Mom?! Mom!"

Her mother turns and brings the girl around with her. The world slows, the people around them stopping like someone had poured the street with molasses. The girls stare at each other, both in the same Halloween outfit and braids. Both with identical faces and expressions. An oppression descends between them, a driving force that makes it impossible for either of them to move forward. Lia and Ames stare at each other, it is all they can do as the space between them seems vast and the magic now spiralling around them is immense. It pulses, a dark wedge that is moments from flinging them back from the strain now put upon it. The curse shudders as they move forward as one, inhale a breath and then scream.

The stillness shatters and the tension snaps as the girls do not race to each other but away. Magic batters them back, flooding their bodies with fear and adrenaline and they race away blindly, desperate to avoid each other. That is their bodies but their hearts recognise each other and break and bleed and they scream each other's names until both are lost in the crowd, lost to each other again.

* * *

Kai gasps, staggering and Jo clutches at Ric. Magic had suddenly swept over them like a wave, a powerful force the likes of which he had not felt in years. Any longer and it would have crushed them under the weight of it.

"What the hell was that?" Liv gasps but Kai ignores her.

"Wait here. I need to find her."

"Who? Lia?"

"Just wait here," he says through his teeth and now that the oppressive magic is lifting he reaches out with his own magic, trying to locate Lia and feels her almost immediately. She is running towards Main Street. Kai concentrates and not caring if he is seen he disappears and appears before the entrance to Adventure Land. He swears, the magic still interfering with his own. He tries again but appears in the exact same spot.

"For fuck's sake!" he yells and is rewarded by scandalised gasps around him. He ignores them and begins running and he does not get very far when he hears something that makes him run faster.

"...Ames? Amelia…Lia?" a woman shouts faintly in the crowd, almost drowned out by the fireworks above and the clapping. Kai grits his teeth, shouting out his daughter's name and then the crowd parts and the woman who had been shouting suddenly appears across from him. Kai stops dead.

"…Bonnie?"


	19. Chapter 19

Magic repels her back, a barricade that hinders movement and hampers her own power. Magic thickens in her blood, heavy and useless against the force of the curse pulsing ahead. Bonnie hears a scream of anguish and then the obstructive magic snaps free for a moment. People crowd her, oblivious to the power that had just frozen them like flies in amber and Bonnie loses sight of Lia.

 _Cecilia_. As the girl shook in her arms questions flitted through Bonnie's head like a swarm: illusions, dreams, doppelgangers or insanity? Lia had been none of those things and at the gentle touch of her cheek Bonnie had felt the truth. The girl identical to Amelia is hers. How and why is a thing to figure out when her heart is not shattering at the implications. She could only hold her and keep the frenzied questions that Lia had no answer to in her mouth. Now she is gone again and Ames is screaming.

Heart pounding with a shared panic and deep disorientation Bonnie calls their names, struggling through the crowd and as she does that malleable obstruction that had crashed down flares again. More and more people surround her, adults in her face and children around her knees and she searches each desperately, never finding them. She moves back from the force and the crowd thins, her way back clear but she can sense distress on the other side of the obstruction.

 _It's trying to stop me._ Panic turning into anger Bonnie grit her teeth and barrels forward, forcing her way through the surging mass. She calls again and the crowd parts for a few seconds.

"…Bonnie?"

A deep voice says behind her and she freezes, her hands clenching into fists. That voice…it can't be. She turns her head and the effort pains her; like her entire body is in a vice. A family passes and then the man is visible. He wears a dark pinstriped suit and once his hair was probably neat but now it stands in messy tuffs, like he had been clutching it. Dark blue eyes, the colour of cobalt night skies, stares at her with utter shock, mouth parted.

"Kai?" her voice is small, drowned out by the fireworks that are reaching a frenzied crescendo above. All how's and whys dissolve in the sight of his gaze, at the sound if his voice. She ignores the sky and people around them but the momentary relaxing of the obstacle swells again. She gasps, feels the imminent separation but can do nothing as a wave of people suddenly crash between them.

"No! Bonnie!" Kai yells and Bonnie calls on her magic to get back to him. It tingles within her, trying to answer her desperate need but it withdraws under the weight of the curse. Every attempt to reach him is rewarded with a slap back.

"I can't do anything," she shouts, being dragged back further and further but then with a touch that feels like he carries lightening in his veins Kai's fingers wrap around her wrist. They groan with pain, teeth clenched but she grabs his other arm.

"Who are you?" he snarls, his vicious tone at odds with his desperate gaze. Bonnie blinks and then cries out as more people crush around them, forcing her against him. If the magic cannot separate them it will make every moment of contact hurt. Gasping for air she shakes her head, clutching his shirt.

"Is it really you? Is this real?"

"You're dead, they – they said so…" he utters in confusion, hands still wrapped around her wrists. He presses forward and then stops moving completely, pressed in on all sides. She struggles to breathe, fingers digging into his chest and someone starts shouting about crowd control through a speaker phone. Parents shout in panic and children begin to cry. Bonnie presses herself against him, trying to get away from the crush and then the horrifying thought that Ames might be in the same predicament with Lia hits her. She grits her teeth, shaking her head.

"Gotta. Find. Them," she pushes against his chest, against the people around her and the pressure lessen slightly. Blessed air fills her lungs as she moves away from Kai but he keeps hold of her arms, shaking her.

"Are you real?" his furious eyes flick over her face and then his hands burn red. Bonnie groans sharply as he siphons, jerking and the suspicion that had clouded his face like a storm blinks away instantly. His mouth falls open and he tries to speak but is unable to. He pulls her to him but in that instant a loud cracking noise and a blast of red light illuminate the night sky, drowning out the fireworks.

The terrible suppression begins to recede, taking the shouting and distressed theme park guests with it. Space and air and magic flow around them, liberating and with heaving breathes they stare at each other for an agonising beat before Bonnie falls forward and Kai wraps her up, a rough and desperate embrace.

* * *

They crouch on either side of Main Street, the busy parade and flotillas blocking their view of each other constantly. They do not need vision to know where the other is, they can feel it in their blood and bones and right now they burn and ache at the proximity. Any closer and the street will collapse, creating fissures throughout the park that will take them and everyone else with it. They know this as surely as they know who each other are.

Lia shudders in a breath and directly opposite Ames breathes out. The magic that had suddenly exploded between them like a sun going supernova is just as destructive and the safest place for everyone is as far away from them as possible. But this spell, this curse does not drink in light and sounds, it just maintains a constant obstruction, striking out when breached. They're the light eaters here.

 _…Can – can you hear me?_ Lia lets her thoughts carry over the distance, praying that it is light enough to get over the curse. On the other side of the road Ames nods. Each sight of the other sends a blast of pain through them but each would endure it forever for just another glimpse.

 _You…sound…scattered_ , comes her twin's reply and hot tears roll down Lia's cheeks. They had shared conscience before either had been born and to be denied that for so long is devastating. The distance, a few metres, is oceans but if either move the curse will react. Now it waits, sitting squarely between them like a wall.

 _I've missed you so much. I missed you even when I couldn't remember why. I was so lonely…I thought mommy was dead,_ Lia sends over the wall and Ames nods, crying hard.

_I…know. I love you…I need to…come over…_

Lia nods, inhaling deeply and looks at the parade between them. Happy families line the road, clapping and whistling as fireworks continue to burst above. None have a clue as to the immense and oppressive magic flowing thick through the streets. Despite the dangers the desire to leap up and into each other's arms is strong but they remain crouching, fingers digging into the ground.

 _Need to break the curse Ames. Somehow,_ Lia sends and she feels Ames' uncertainty.

 _Too powerful…what if…?_ The voice in her head fades away and the next thing that drifts into her mind is not a thought but an image. Lia smiles, nodding. Her twin is a little genius. The image is of a carton of juice, with Mickey Mouse on the front. Two straws break through the small foil seals and they start drinking. The curse is immense and they are not strong enough to drain it but siphoning enough to relieve the pressure keeping them apart should be in their power.

_…Ready?_

_Steady._

On their knees they smile with a strange giddiness and as one they lay their palms flat on the ground. Red light spills through the gaps between their fingers and then spreads along the ground and through the air in thin red veins. The grins on their faces turn into grimaces as they meet the surface of the magical bubble. It feels impenetrable but with a slam of their hands they make two tiny pinprick through it.

A loud crack rings through the air, making them gasp but the normal people do not react, not hearing it or the sudden flash of red light as they start to siphon. They grit their teeth with disgust, the magic dark and thick with age and a strange indifferent violence. It is just doing what it was created for, a thing that spreads lightly most of the time but converges as and when needed. They must feel like mosquitoes to it, at least they hope so.

The pressure lessens, the dark grey spell growing faint and wispy. It is enough to reach each other without harm but the effort to drain the magic takes a toll. The parade passes and they have a clear view of each other. They smile, heart swelling with love and accomplishment but then they lower to the ground, bodies sapped of strength. They pass out and the curse drifts high and waits for the sunrise.

* * *

"You're real?" he asks for the fifth time, hands cupping her face. Every touch and every sound out of her mouth results in what feels like electric currents rushing through his body. His heart won't take much more but he hungers for it, his previous paranoia and denial now trampled by an equally desperate hope.

"I thought you were lost," she whispers through her tears and surged on by a perverse need he rubs his cheek against hers, as if needing to soak up her emotions rather than magic. He licks the salt from his lips, unable to kiss her. It feels like it will banish them, a reverse sleeping beauty and they will all go back to sleep again. That and he won't be able to stop.

He tries to get his tattered rationality in some kind of order. "The magic, it's being siphoned," he says and looks up. He can feel the drain of it and the lifting of the curse. _Curse_. How and why rings his mind but again he cannot grasp onto anything rational when Bonnie Bennett is in his arms. She is alive and warm and devastating.

"The girls," she mutters, looking around in worry and Kai stiffens when he feels the siphoning stop abruptly.

"I know where they are," he keeps hold of her hand but then someone touches his shoulder. He is so raw, balancing on a knife edge, that he sends the person stumbling back with a growling hex. Jo gasps, falling back against Ric, who steadies his wife. They stare at Bonnie with matching looks of disbelief.

"You – you died," Jo gasps, tears rimming her blue eyes. "You died in my arms…"

Bonnie shakes her head, trying not to break down. "I'm alive. Something is going on, something bad and I need to find them."

Kai glares at his family. "If you've lied to me I suggest that you run as soon as you can but don't bother hiding because I'll find you."

"Don't you _dare_ threaten us! We didn't lie! She died!" Liv shouts, gesturing at Bonnie wildly. "I don't know what the hell is going on but this is not our fault. You felt that magic, this is beyond us."

Kai breathes through his nose, trying to calm his anger but the suspicion that he has been deceived burns through him. He looks back at Bonnie and again feels a wallop of fierce and bewildered adoration. He cannot believe she is alive, it's too good to be true. It has to be a trick…

Bonnie tugs on his hand and he ignores the momentary flare of doubt. The parade passes and they leave Kai's family and search quickly up the street. He does not let go of Bonnie until he sees a girl dressed as Wednesday Addams curled up on the side of the now emptying street. He does not wonder who she is, only that his child is on the ground and not moving.

He crouches down, touching his daughter and at the contact he knows instantly that it is Amelia. He has no memory of her, no knowledge that Bonnie had delivered twins because his sisters had never told him. They had not lied, they had not known but it felt good to lay the blame on something tangible and pain receptive. Anything to transfer the realisation of what must have happened.

"She's okay," Bonnie says with relief from across the street and he looks up. "The effort to siphon must have been too much."

Kai nods, distracted. "Depending on the magic it can sometimes make you feel sleepy and full. They just need to rest…" he picks up Ames and carries her over to Bonnie, who uses magic to bare the weight of Lia.

She stares down at Amelia in Kai's arms and when she looks up the panic and distress morphs into a blazing rage. "Who's done this to us?"

"I don't know but when we find out they're going to pay."

They nod, staring at each other as the curse far above their heads begins to spool slowly, drawing in stray strands of magic floating over the land. The sun will rise in ten hours.

* * *

The girls lie together on a bed, still sleeping. They had gone back to the hotel resort. Bonnie and Ames had been staying in a room a floor below. They had even checked in at the same time, likely missing each other by seconds…

Bonnie kneels by the bed, brushing hair away from her daughters' faces as Kai speaks softly to Jo at the door. The rage and fear that had made him lash out earlier is under control but she knows it is just waiting to be unleashed at the right person. Just as hers is.

"Go without us. I'll call you later….Sissy? I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Accepted but you're a dick if you think I'd lie to you about that," Jo grouches and then after giving her brother a worried look she leaves. Kai closes the door, resting his forehead against it.

"I don't remember giving birth to her," Bonnie utters depressively, looking at Lia. If she looks long enough without blinking she will remember but it just makes her eyes burn. She looks down, rubbing tears away with the curve of her shoulder. Kai comes to her side and she looks up. Before they had battled to reach each other, each touch like a gasp for air but now another wall is between them, one of their own making. She feels like she will shatter into pieces and ignite at his touch, making him fade away like a ghost. From the hesitating almost touches he feels the same. The room would not contain the force of them and so they focus on their children.

"Tell me what you remember?" he whispers and gets on his knees beside her. Bonnie licks her lips, her wig now in her lap. She speaks slowly, recalling her emergence from the collapsing prison world alone. She had stayed in Portland for a few days before heading back to her mother in Monroe. She had given birth to Amelia and moved back to Mystic Falls. A pretty normal and uneventful life follows, isolated but content. She had thought him lost in the dissolving of the prison worlds and any attempt to find him had produced nothing of his whereabouts.

"I stopped looking when she was four…I got a job at a local college," she touches Ames' face as Kai gently settles his hand on Lia's ankle. Bonnie frowns, the words feeling sticky and hollow. She focuses, trying to recall her first day at Whitmore but the memory slips from her grasp.

"I woke up from a coma when Lia was four. She had been living in Portland with Liv…No, she – she lived with someone else," Kai struggles to speak, brows furrowed and his hand tightens around Lia's foot. Bonnie looks at her own hand on Ames' arm and a sudden certainty strikes her.

"…The old memories, they're fake. When I try to remember and really focus the more unreal they become," Bonnie shakes, feeling sick. Kai nods grimly and motions to the twins.

"They're planted. Don't let go of them, I think they're helping us remember," he takes Ames' hand and Bonnie takes Lai's and a sudden flood of images pass from the twins to their parents.

_A small red house. Their grandmother carving wood. Another house burning down. Their mother in a uniform. Their father in a flower crown. A beautiful birthday cake. A large white house on a cliff. A girl with colourful braids telling them not to let go. Their father making the room tidy with magic. Driving to beat the sunrise. Falling asleep as babies in the arms of their mother…Magic flowing through their veins like gold, glowing through their skin – blood -_

"God!" Kai gasps, snatching his hand away and Bonnie falls back with a low groan.

"No…all those years without her," she shakes, staring at Cecilia with a wretched torment. She tries to clamp down on the pain, at the unfairness of it all because she has to focus on her children but the magnitude of the loss hits her again and again. She flounders in it and when she feels Kai's hand she grips it tightly.

"Nine years, since their fourth birthday. What – what's the last thing you remember?" he asks, his voice shaking.

"…The garden at sunset. I – I think I was trying to stop it? That girl...that waitress," she bares her teeth as the faint memory of the strange girl with the rainbow coloured hair surfaces. "She kidnapped the girls. I think you stopped her."

Kai swallows, face screwed up as he tries to remember. "She had an ascendant. I think she put the curse on us when she couldn't trap us. I can't - I can't remember," he groans in frustration. "I think she's dead, I think I killed her."

"Good," Bonnie snarls and then sits up when the twins stir. Kai moves with her and when they look at the girls in the dim light they grip each other bruising tight. Ames and Lia grasp hands, fingers laced together and they _shine_.

"Are – are you seeing this?" he whispers and Bonnie nods but cannot make sense of what she is looking at. Where the girls touch their veins glow like liquid gold, like ichor. It bathes the room with a warm light and at some angles they see particles of gold drifting in the air, like dust. Kai reaches out to touch them but a primal warning makes Bonnie pull his hand back. As she does the twins open their eyes and their parents rock back.

No green iris or pupil remain, their eyes are a blank white. They stare blindly upwards but Bonnie thinks they are seeing beyond this little room, through time and a multiple of worlds. Familiarity surges in Bonnie at the serene blank faces and gold magic. She had tapped into this divine power once but she had lost the ability thirteen years before. Not lost, it had only been transferred.

"…We have until sunrise," the girls say in unison and it makes Bonnie shiver. What are they seeing? Are they scared or are they beyond such sensations? The twins unclasp their hands and close their eyes and when they open them again Bonnie feels a whoosh of relief to see jade green eyes peering back at them.

The serenity drains from them as they stare at their watchful parents, the silence teetering on a brink until they sit up and fall into their waiting arms. Bonnie inhales deeply as Lia sobs in her embrace, the force of it making them rock. Bonnie forces her own suffering into a tight ball, submerging it and lets the anguish radiating from her daughter wash through her. There will come a time where Bonnie will crack under the weight of her own pain but right now she needs to be whole and focused on those who need her most.

They hold their children and stare at each other across the aching distance.

* * *

Hours pass until midnight chimes in the distance. They rest in the bed together, Bonnie and Kai bookending the twins. They had been wary about the girls coming into contact again but it seems entering that golden trance is a choice. Kai and Bonnie fall asleep despite their wish to keep their eyes open and not miss even a second.

"The sunrise," Ames hiccups suddenly, waking them and Kai looks into her eyes. "It's waiting for dawn."

"What do you mean?"

"The curse. The trigger is sunrise or set," Lia says, sitting up with Ames. They had talked for hours, sharing stories about their lives apart from each other. They had laughed as much as they had cried.

"Before it had been sunset but now it's opposite," Ames explains and looks around for her shoes. Bonnie and Kai shuffle to the end of the bed, both suddenly wired and hypersensitive. Lia looks out of the window worriedly. Storm clouds obscure the dark horizon.

"We siphoned the spell, enough to weaken it but the magic will seep out of us soon. The curse will kick in again," she turns back to them as Kai and Bonnie gets to their feet. Kai rubs at his face, growling.

"Okay so we have to siphon the curse away."

Lia and Ames shake their heads and Lia answers. "No one can siphon this away completely, not even you dad."

"Then what do we do?" Bonnie asks and the girls grow quiet. They look at each other and the sight is so familiar it makes her heart throb. How often had she seen them as toddlers sharing a silent communication? Memories appear gently in her mind like raindrops.

"We need a place where the sun doesn't rise or there's no time," Kai muses, ransacking his suitcase for something to wear. Bonnie nods, trying to think when Kai suddenly comes to the answer. Clutching a sweater he rounds on the girls, eyes bright.

"You showed us a big white house by the sea. Why?"

"The Lighthouse," Lia says, nodding and starts to smile.

"I never took you there. How do you know what it looks like?" Kai asks, flinging a pair of pants and socks to Lia. The sight makes Bonnie want to cry. It is so _ordinary_.

Lia frowns, looking at Ames. "We've never been…the things that we shared, most were memories, we just unlocked them but we didn't really have control over what we were seeing."

"What is it?" Bonnie asks, though the name does sound familiar.

"It's the private residence of the Gemini leader. If things get hairy then we're meant to decamp there but I have total sway over it. But how can it help…?" he concentrates, jaw clenching and then his eyes widen. He laughs, turning to Bonnie.

"What?"

"I forgot. Oh Bon you're _not_ gonna like this."

"What is it?" she asks, moving closer to him. His smile sends her stomach somersaulting. They had hardly touched on the bed and each glance had been shy and fleeting. Letting her guard down when he could be snatched away from her again is why she dips her toes instead of submerging in the feelings that rise.

"The Gemini, as you know, have a tendency to cloak things that are valuable. If they're really…indispensable then they get the next level treatment."

"Which is? Come on dad we don't have much time for your speechifying," Lia says and his smile falters as he looks away from Bonnie's face.

"Sorry. The house is in another dimension."

Ringing silence follows this information, each trying to process it. Bonnie gets there first.

"It's another prison world?" she asks, appalled. The girls frown.

"Prison world?"

Kai hesitates and then waves it off as Bonnie's stomach plummets. "Just the island. It's a place that's protected under lock and key. No curse or any kind of magic gets in without my say so."

"We'll be safe there?" Bonnie asks and he nods, smiling again. She inhales, fresh tears in her eyes and before either can hesitate she wraps her arms around his neck. Kai holds her at once, sighing in relief.

"I wasn't sure how long I could wait."

"I didn't want to feel this again, not if ends. I can't lose you, any of you," she looks at her children over Kai's shoulder. Most teenagers would look away in disgusted embarrassment at their parent's show of affection but the twins smile. As small children this is all they wanted and nothing is going to get in the way of that again.

"We gotta go. We can all hug it out later!" Lia shouts and Ames laughs and then they fling open the door, yelling about getting changed. Bonnie moves after them, it is the first time they have been out of her sight since reuniting. Kai pulls her back.

"If I don't kiss you I'm gonna go insane."

"Sure I'm real? Not an illusion or ghost? It is Halloween," she jokes but her smirk falls at the look of misery on his face. To him she had been dead for thirteen years and without the tiny hope that she may return, like Bonnie had secretly clung to. The whole thing had been a lie but the pain is real.

"I never thought I'd see you alive again," he utters weakly as she moves close, green eyes wide and sad. "If the sunrises and I have to go back thinking that you're dead, never touching you again but you're really out there…" his breath shudders out in a pained sigh and Bonnie rises up and kisses his mouth, cupping his face gently.

The kiss is long and soft, a press of gentle lips but below is a desperate rushing passion that once released they'll be helpless against. Hugging is one thing but their children will probably not take kindly to them destroying the hotel room in a fit of desire. They break away gasping, clutching at each other. Bonnie presses her fingertips against his mouth, smiling faintly.

"Later. First we have to get to safety."

Kai nods, his gaze devouring and with a huge force of will he moves back and inhales deeply. He looks at his watch. "The sunrises in…eight hours. We have to get to the island before that."

"Let's not waste a second," she says and using a spell she makes her suitcase appear. She flings it open and pulls out a skirt and thick tights before reaching around to pull the zipper down her back.

"I – I'll go check on them," Kai stumbles and she nods, not daring to turn and see the look he is giving her. Her heart races scorching blood through her body, making her skin hot enough to smoke. Rather than ignore the primal raw need she embraces it, imagining her children safe and tucked up in bed and then she and Kai can consume this long neglected yearning. If she wants it fiercely enough it will become reality.

She pulls on her knee high boots and dons her purple coat, a fragile hopeful smile on her lips.

* * *

Driving to Oregon would take hours they do not have so Kai looks online to book tickets for the next available flight out of LA. He was now in jeans and a blue sweater over a shirt. The weather had grown notably cold. The plane will take about two hours to reach Portland and from there they can drive to the coast with a lot of time to spare.

"I should just fly us there," he grumbles for the fourth time as Bonnie stuffs their bags into the back of the rental car. His sisters, who still look at her like they're staring at an apparition, hug Lia goodbye.

"Don't forget Ames," she says and Jo smiles and hugs the other twin, who accepts the embrace shyly.

"Call me when you get there or if anything happens," Jo says as she lets go of Ames. Kai nods, not looking up from his phone.

"Have you spoken to dad yet? He's not answering my calls." at the flood of memories that Kai and Bonnie had experienced his extended family had also been beset with a random assortment of memories. He had expected his father to come to them directly but so far he has not said a word. It makes him suspicious. Lia and Ames look at each other, an exchange that Bonnie catches but when she asks what is wrong they shrug and get into the car.

"He's not picking up. I can't feel magic anymore but I know when something is wrong. Don't shut us out. I'm your sister," Jo says quietly to her brother, who lowers his phone. He stares at her with a soft scrutiny.

"When the sunrises you'll forget so none of the sweet things I _could_ say right now will mean anything."

"Or the bad," she jokes and then surprises Kai by hugging him. "I don't understand what's going on but I don't want anything to happen to those girls…or you. You have a second chance Kai, fight to keep it."

"I will," he utters with difficultly and then slides behind the driver's wheel. Bonnie hugs Ric and thanks Kai's sisters before getting into the passenger seat. She wishes she could speak to them more, about how they had been there for her when she was pregnant but she can't. Bonnie looks at the time.

"It's 12:50. What time does the sunrise in Portland?"

"7:48," he answers and pulls away from the hotel, leaving his sisters behind. If he reaches the island in time there is every possibility that he may never see them again, if the curse is not broken and no aid comes to them.

"It's not going to be easy," Lia says from the back seat as they drive towards the airport. Ames nods. "The curse wants us to separate."

"Why?" Bonnie asks with exasperation and again the twins share a glance. Bonnie turns in her chair and looks at them forcefully. "I know that look. Whatever you're thinking just say it."

"We don't remember everything. We don't know why someone would go to so much trouble to put this massive curse on us but it's probably about this power we have," Ames says slowly. "It's different and completely unlike anything else. I suppose it must be frightening to some people."

Bonnie has to try very hard not to nod. She had been terrified of it but she did not want them to think she is scared of _them_. Wielding that power not only makes you feel like a god but you have the capability of one too. In the hands of two toddlers? Yes she can see why someone would want to make sure they never touched again.

"Does it feel too much for you? Expression?" Kai asks as they head onto the highway towards the airport. Even at the late hour the traffic starts to thicken and a heavy rain begins to fall.

"…No. It's like – like thinking. Sometimes you have to really concentrate to do something but then at others it just does it without you having to focus," Lia describes and Ames nods.

"It's amazing…but I can feel the wobbly thing too," she adds and her parents frown.

"Wobbly?"

"Nature, it feels all skewed. Unbalanced."

"It doesn't like us," Lia finishes grimly as rain lashes down. The car slows to a crawl as they meet the traffic jam at the turning to the airport. A policeman flags them and Kai lowers the window.

"If you're heading to the airport all flights are grounded because of fog," the policeman says and Bonnie groans. Kai nods, clenching his jaw and grips the wheel until his knuckles go white.

"There has to be another way," she says desperately.

"Teleport?"

"It's over a thousand miles," Bonnie counters and reaches out for his arm at the frenzied look on his face. He'd try it.

"We can do it," Ames says quietly and they turn. "I don't know where the island is but we could try."

Kai shakes his head. "No one can just appear on the island. There's a special key."

 _The ascendant_. Bonnie looks at him anxiously and shifts her back against the seat. The tattoo on her back, which still glimmers like brass in the sunlight, is no longer active but once she had been turned into a key. What if something happens to her if they get to the island?

Kai glances at her as he reverses and spots her hand on her back. "Is it still there?"

She nods. "It's normal, well as normal as a magical, glittery tattoo can be. Do you think it'll make a difference?"

"It shouldn't, the binding is gone." He shakes his head as the girls listen to them in quiet confusion. Kai switches on the radio and the girls share a look.

"Where is the special key?" Ames asks.

"On the mainland. A super old Gemini member has it."

"Who?" Bonnie asks.

"My grandmother," Kai answers and Lia gasps.

"But she's fucking batshit!"

"Lia!" Bonnie barks and Kai grins for the first time since getting in the car. Bonnie ignores him for the moment. "Don't use that kind of language."

"You've got a potty mouth Lia," Ames comments evenly as Bonnie glares at Kai who just mouths sorry to Lia in the rear view mirror. She looks mortified. Bonnie inhales and seeing the sad look on her face she turns and speaks gently.

"It's okay honey. I guess if there's any time to swear it's now…You're so grown up. You – you were four the last time I saw you."

"I'm thirteen now," she utters gutturally as Bonnie blinks back tears. She has missed nine years of her daughter growing up. The pain is like nothing she has felt before, a gutting wound that will fester if ignored. She smiles instead and cups Lia's cheek.

"I know. You've grown so beautifully, you both have" she adds, looking at Ames who holds her sister's hand. Nothing happens and Bonnie recalls with a horrible sinking feeling that she used to forbid them touching for fear of using Expression. Back then they had no control over it but then she never gave them the chance to.

"Should we try getting us there? To the coast at least?" Ames asks again.

"Not the coast. This curse wants us to fail. We might end up in the sea," Lia says and Kai nods.

"She's right. See if you can get us as close to Astoria as possible."

"Without squishing anyone with the car," Ames adds and Lia giggles. They breathe out through their mouths, readying themselves as Kai parks the car by the side of a narrow residential road off the highway.

"So near granny's house?" Lia asks and Kai nods after a pause. He looks back at Bonnie.

"Have you met Eloise? She, uh, she's kinda senile."

Bonnie tries to remember but no old lady comes to mind. "She's got the ascendant?"

"She's the only one who can use it. Unlike the others it's her blood that opens it, not yours."

"So we'll have to take her with us to get out again?"

"Christ I hope not. I'll get the blood out of her, even if I have to dangle the old bat over the Pacific," he says this in a growling whisper but Bonnie can hear Ames chuckling as she and Lia look at a map over their knees. She might laugh but Bonnie knows that Kai would probably test the theory if witches float or sink, family or not…Thunder rumbles overhead and the fog the policeman mentioned rolls off the sea to the west. Kai look at his phone and groans.

"It's dead."

Bonnie pulls out her own and sees with a jolt that her mother had called. That is not so surprising but the half dozen texts and one voice message from her cousin Lucy is. Perplexed she listens to the message.

_Bonnie I – I uh I just woke up. I remember what happened, what I did. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…we did it for the greater good, we did it for them. Without the heretics the girls destabilise nature and soon it will seek to fix that, create something worse… You're probably trying to run from the spell but you can't. I wish I could help you, I wish there was something that I could do but the seers foretold what would happen. They can't be Bonnie…I hope you forgive me, though I suppose it doesn't matter. In the morning none of us will remember…but still, for what it's worth, I'm sorry._

The message ends and Bonnie stares at the rain dashed windshield but does not see it. Her cousin had grown into a good friend and confidant over the years, her only one really. They had formed the after school magic club, bringing stray witches and their families into the fold, Bennett or not. The school had been for the young and old alike and it had been a blinding success. Those bonding times had been one of the happiest of Bonnie's life. Had it all been a lie? Lucy is the reason why she has been separated from Lia and Kai. Because nature demanded it? Heretics?

"Bonnie?" Kai says and then shouts her name as the phone in her hand cracks and smokes. She drops the cell and looks at Kai with icy eyes.

"People are going to die for what they've done to us," she utters with a deep solemn vengeance and Kai stares at her intensely. He inhales, nodding.

"Glad we're on the same page...Okay girls, you ready?"

The twins blink, clearly having heard them but answer him. "I don't know where it is and Lia hasn't been there for a long time but we'll try," Ames says and then takes her twin's hand. Golden light spills suddenly from the windows of the car, illuminating the rain and fog swirling around it. It is a beautiful sight and anyone looking out of their homes would see a small Fiat car glowing like a miniature sun before it suddenly winks away. Dark, rain and fog swirl around the space where the car was. The curse above contracts and then shifts, leaving a thin layer over the airport. It follows, as it has since they were four years old, like an invisible balloon tied to invisible strings attached to one estranged family.

Where they go it goes, even if they scatter across the earth…

* * *

The car appears on a dark street, the rain and fog gone. Bonnie and Kai gasp, blinking light from their eyes and peer at the street ahead.

"Oh that's not good," Lia groans and they turn to see her and Amelia with their heads on their knees. Bonnie immediately gets out of the car and opens the back door to the twins.

"What's wrong?"

"It – it's so hard to let go," Ames mutters, clutching her head as Kai opens the door on her side. Bonnie nods in understanding.

"I know," she had been worried that the effort would be too much for them but that magic invigorates you, filling you with a euphoric life that no human or witch can understand. No wonder they look like they want to puke, even the air must smell foul to them now.

"Are we here?" Lia asks, turning to Kai, who stands. Bonnie follows him up and they look at each other across the roof of the car. He shakes his head, his jaw clenching hard and points at a post office across the street.

"Igo? Never heard of it," Bonnie answers and the girls peer up at their father sadly.

"We're not in Oregon?"

"Still in California, though you jumped us over Sacramento so we avoided that busy junction," he adds at their crestfallen expressions. He gets back down on his hunches and takes the map. "It's okay, we're a lot closer than we were. I should take us about five or six hours to get there. Before it was like fifteen."

Bonnie nods, smiling. "You did good."

"Not good enough. We siphoned the curse, that gross magic is in us. I think it's screwing with our witchy GPS," Ames grouches and Bonnie laughs and hugs her before rising again. She moves around to Kai and they stand some distance from the car.

"Can we make it?"

"If we drive without stopping yes but if another storm rolls up or we get a puncture or whatever else this thing wants to throw at us then who knows," his nostrils flare and she wants to ignore his pessimism but it's fact. The spell wants them to fail and it will hinder them until the sunrises. The only reason they've got out from under it is because of the proximity of the twins. Together it must weaken the curse, until sunrise or set.

"The magic used to cast it must have been immense."

"Yeah and I bet it took an entire village to raise it."

"You think the Gemini did it? My cousin just left me a message apologising for separating us. I think this was a joint operation."

"Maybe it went beyond the Parker's and Bennett's? A witchy free for all," he grounds out but Bonnie does not dismiss it. They seemed to believe that something so bad would happen that the scattered members of her family had joined forces with the crazy Gemini to force the twins apart.

"They're just kids," she whispers and then Kai pulls her into his arms. Every time it makes her heart race.

"I won't let it happen. Even if we have to endure another prison world then so be it. I won't be parted from you again," he utters fiercely, hands gripping her shoulders. Bonnie nods and wraps her arms around his body but the embrace is short lived as they hurry back to the car and begin driving again.

"Drive until we get back on the interstate," Bonnie says and Kai nods. The girls sit back and the exhaustion they had been pushing to the corners of their minds swells up and they fall asleep as they drive north.

* * *

They take turns driving and stop once to stock up on snacks and coffee. Bonnie drives, stifling a yawn as they head out of Redding towards Mount Shasta. They were almost in Oregon.

"So you help siphoners to integrate?" Bonnie asks as Kai rests his head back, staring at her with a soft look. He had told her of giving up leadership of the coven, of choosing to be a father but he could not sit and do nothing when people like Lia were still being treated like dirt. Worse, at least dirt is acknowledged.

"Try to. I have one siphoner on the council, excluding me, and I've managed to integrate three Gemini schools. Hopefully teachers will be next," he says tiredly, looking at a dark lake as they cross over a bridge. So far the night is calm and the Milky Way arcs through the sky.

"It's beautiful, we should wake them," Bonnie says but they let them sleep. She sighs, the nerves that had made her stomach turn seems to have moved up to her shoulders. They are now hunched up around her ears. Kai smiles and reaches over to message a shoulder and she groans. "That's good. I could do with a full body rub right now."

Kai groans. "Don't tempt me," he glances back swiftly to make sure the girls are asleep. "Are – are you single?" he had tormented himself with the possibility that she might be married but she wears no ring.

Bonnie shakes her head. "I'm not seeing anyone. I mean I had a few boyfriends but it didn't last."

Kai nods and does not care how relieved he looks. The curl of her mouth at his response however he does care about. Very much. "There was never anyone for me."

"Never?"

"Hook ups, yeah but nothing important."

Bonnie inhales deeply and nods. She eyes him quickly, as if she cannot look at him for long. What had he done? "So you never moved on? You thought I was dead…"

"What's death to a witch? I knew I'd see you again, I guess I was waiting."

"To die?" she looks at him with a funny look and he laughs quietly.

"Romantic, right?" he shrugs, his smile dimming. "I could never forget you, ever. I don't think any curse could make that happen."

Bonnie swallows, staring ahead as his hand moves. The back of his fingers touch her cheek and she rubs against him. He collects her tears with his fingers and only pulls away when the twins stir. They shift position until Ames is resting her head on Lia's shoulder.

"Her lisp is almost gone," Bonnie remarks, motioning to Lia and Kai nods. He talks about speech therapy and her little league baseball team she plays for, the star player of course. Bonnie explains about the night school that Ames attends.

"She sells jewellery? Like for money?"

"No, she hasn't got that far yet. Stefan thinks she'll set up an online shop next. She's a little business woman."

"Stefan? Salvatore?"

Bonnie nods. "He's become a good friend." Kai makes a disparaging noise and Bonnie narrows her eyes. "What?"

"He's _just_ became one? Haven't you known him since you were like sixteen?"

"Yeah and he was a hundred and something. We're slightly more inline now," she jokes and he giggles. The sound is so good that the prospect that she will only hear it again in old memories is devastating. Throughout the car ride she has been swinging from a heady euphoria to a crushing fear.

"We're gonna make it," Kai says, seeing her anxiety. They had four hours until the sunrises. They just had to step foot on the island and they will be free. She needs to focus on getting there and not what could go wrong.

"Wasn't it weird that we both dressed up as the Addams Family?" Bonnie says and Kai smirks.

"Jo and Ric wanted to go as Mortica and Gomez but no way was I going as Uncle Fester again. Last year we dressed up as Harry Potter characters."

Bonnie turns to him, her mouth open. "Hermione and Harry?"

"Yeah. You too?" she nods and Kai laughs. "I bet you looked cute in the glasses."

"I did," she grins at him and he looks like he wants to pull the car over. Instead he moves his hand and settles it on her knee. She clears her throat, trying to cool the furnace now burning in her belly. "I bet we dressed as the same thing every year. Even though we were separated we were still connected."

"Fate…" he says softly and Bonnie nods. His hand slides around her tights, moving slowly upwards. She looks back but the twins are dead to the world.

"What did you do for her birthdays?" she asks in a breathless voice and then suddenly straightens, clamping her thighs around his fingers. He makes a strangled noise before she speaks. "What happened on her tenth?"

Kai stares at her in shocked silence and then feels a squirming apprehension. He removes his hand. "Did something happen to Ames?"

"She collapsed. She – she was dead for a few seconds. It was the scariest moment of my life."

Kai nods, looking at the twins in the mirror. "The same thing happened to Lia."

"What happened?" she asks, too focused on his face and he motions at the road. She parks along the empty interstate and turns to him.

"I uh, I got sick and well…" he peters off.

"You died." Bonnie inhales a breath and holds it as a memory surfaces. She had been arguing with him in her mother's house, about the dangers he posed to the girls. She had been worried that one day he could get randomly hit by a bus or fall ill and the girls would pay the price. He is the true Gemini leader and all members are linked to his life. If he sinks the others drown with him.

"I got better?" he offers weakly but his eyes are nervous.

"Jesus. Are you okay now?"

He hesitates, licking his lips and then nods. "It hasn't happened since. Although…" he trails off, looking thoughtful.

"What?"

"Before her tenth birthday Lia wanted to visit Mystic Falls. I had managed to avoid taking her but she got to a point where I thought she'd go by herself if I didn't take her. So I caved in and we were driving towards Virginia but then the car got a flat, road blockages appeared for freaking cattle and other barricading devices. I thought it was a clear sign: don't go back. It must have been the spell. I got sick right after that."

Bonnie nods and thinks of her life centralised in Mystic Falls. There had been no desire to leave or expand her circle of friends who might venture out. Had the curse done that? Once she dreamt of seeing the world but for years the desire had deflated. She thinks back on what he said and frowns. "Why not take her initially? You didn't know about the spell," she asks and his head tilts.

"Why do you think? My coven keeps May 10th a secret because I put a spell on every single one not to mention it. She has no idea. I – I assume Ames knows nothing?" he looks back hastily.

Bonnie shakes her head. "Of course I didn't tell her. So you avoided going because you thought someone would recognise you?"

He looks shifty. "I wasn't exactly on my best behaviour when I got out the first time."

Bonnie blinks. " _More_ people? Why?" she leans back, appalled and Kai wishes he had kept his mouth shut. How can he explain his actions? Rationalising not having enough money for a cab ride, a bar owner who denied him entry and gutting a girl like a fish because he couldn't just waltz into Jo's hospital without a good reason could he? The 1994 massacre had been the result of a young man snapping but those Mystic Falls murders? Pure, gleeful cruelty.

Feeling sick he looks back at the twins but they still sleep deeply. "This isn't the place or time to discuss this. Carry on driving," he urges and she does, casting him dark glances until they reach the town of Mount Shasta. The snow-capped mountain is superimposed over the awe-inspiring Milky Way and the girls gasp from the backseat, as if something in them nudged them awake so as not to miss the sight.

"That's so cool. I hope we can have more road trips," Ames says and Lia nods, stretching beside her. Bonnie and Kai share a loaded look and say nothing.

* * *

They arrive outside Astoria with an hour to spare. Kai tells them to wait in the car as they park beside a picket fence which rings an overgrown garden which boasts a single dilapidated, ivy covered shed. There is nothing else.

"You grandmother doesn't live in the shed does she?"

"Sometimes?" Kai says honestly and sighs as he gets out. "The house is cloaked."

"Are we just gonna sit here?" Lia asks impatiently.

"Until I give you the all clear. Remember last time we came here without giving her any warning?" Kai say and Lia nods grimly.

"She called us dirty leeches, _including_ herself, and then started rambling about Elvis being a lost Gemini," she says and Ames laughs.

"Right. Me and your mom will be right back," Kai says and he and Bonnie head into the garden.

"She's siphoner? Will she hand over the ascendant?"

"Yes to your first question and yes to the second, whether she wants to or not. Eloise Parker is straight up crazy half the time but she's not without reason. She also has a soft spot for me, being another dirty leech. Don't mention that to her though, she's sensitive about it. She started living on the island during the sixties, when she was the leader. She was the one who encapsulated it into a bubble dimension."

"So it's not an entire world?"

"Just the island," Kai whispers and then stops at the end of the garden path. Nothing is before them but trees and then the cliff edge that meets the sea. It is dark, only illuminated by the car. "She was pissed when dad booted her out when he became leader. She cannot enter anymore, only open the way. She's held a grudge ever since."

Bonnie looks back at the car and sees the girls watching them. She smiles, heart hammering and turns back when Kai utters a simple spell to reveal the house. The shed, for all it's ramshackle condition, is a perfectly reasonable place to live compared to what appears before them.

"It's a circus tent."

"It's Halloween, or it was. She likes to switch up the illusions, give the kids a glimpse before vanishing. Last time it was Hogwarts," Kai says with a shrug and Bonnie reminds herself that he is used to the eccentricities that are in the makeup of his kooky family. A circus is actually a perfect place for the Parker's. Bonnie turns around and as expected the twins are out of the car and looking gaped mouth at the huge orange and red tent. Two small flags wave in the air at the top, one depicting the Gemini symbol and the other Elvis.

"I hope she doesn't keep lions for pets."

"Flying monkeys is more appropriate." Kai whispers another spell and a perfectly normal wooden door appears in the canvas and Kai sighs in relief, knocking hard. "Wake up granny. It's Malachai."

"I heard you. What do you want?" A surprisingly smooth and low voice says from behind the door. Gentle but touched with irritation.

"To see the clowns duh. Brought the kids and everything."

"If you woke me up to screw with me boy I will turn your liver into chowder," the same calm voice says and the door opens. The frail elderly woman Bonnie had been expecting does not appear. A beautiful middle aged woman with long, flowing black hair and striking blue eyes stare at them. She looks like Jo but with the thinner bone structure of Kai. Sparkly purple shawls and a long brown skirt swishes over the floor as she moves closer. She looks like she just stepped out of Woodstock, bringing pot and patchouli with her from the smell.

"Need the ascendant. Now," Kai says, slipping over any pleasantries and his shockingly young grandmother scoffs.

"And what will I get in return?" she asks, eyes narrowing. She looks at Bonnie for a moment, sizing her up and then back to Kai. She vaguely recalls Eloise now, in the exhausted hours after the birth in Portland. The _real_ birth. She had held the babies, hadn't she? Bonnie had not seen her since, forgotten her.

"The island," he says at once. Eloise stills and then cocks her head.

"Go on."

"We need to be on it before sunrise to escape a curse that dear old dad put on my children," his voice grows steely. "I promise as the _real_ leader of the coven that I will give the island back to you…but to do that we need to wait out this spell."

"Any curse can be broken," Eloise says evenly, staring at the twins who have appeared behind them. "Loopholes."

Kai nods. "And I know the very thing to unravel it but I don't have time…I need siphoners."

Bonnie looks at him, wondering what he is plotting. "To drain the curse? They told us no one can drain it, no matter how many siphoners you get. And at sunrise everyone but us will forget anyway, _if_ we get to the island in time," she adds significantly.

Kai does not respond, just looks at his grandmother intensely. The black haired woman sighs a little, looking over her shoulder and Bonnie sees a perfectly normal hallway beyond rather than the stacks of hey she had half been expecting.

"The island is no longer under my sway but yours. Why would I go back?"

"Because it's also in my power to give my title along with it. Give me the ascendant and once the curse is broken I will revoke dad's position and hand it back to you," Kai urges, moving closer and his grandmother stiffens. The air crackles with violence and Bonnie back up her daughters.

"Do not toy with me. I could snap your spine and leave you alive."

"You could but come on, I've always been your favourite."

"Before you lost your damn mind," Eloise grouches, flicking her eyes to the twins and settles on them. She speaks, distracted. "We are alike Malachai, in more ways than one…I'll hand over the key but first you have to do one other thing for me."

"My crown isn't enough? Come on I've got an hour granny P."

"If the curse breaks and you live up to your promise you must let me mentor your children."

Bonnie blinks, moving forward. "Mentor? For what?"

"Leadership," she answers and icy fear floods Bonnie.

"They're not going to be leaders."

Eloise snaps her eyes to Bonnie. "One will. They're twins, _his_ twins. I've heard of the seers unrest, known of the Bennett prophecies. Darkness and the end of the Gemini coven, all down to them…" she smiles at the girls, not maliciously but with apparent kindness.

"They're not merging," Kai threatens and his granny looks back at him with an impatient sympathy.

"We all fight and run from it but in the end it must happen. The coven weakens in power as the leader ages. You have provided us with a burst of vitality but in time that will dwindle as you grow old. But those girls, oh they shine so bright, just as I remember when they were born," she says with relish and the twins shuffle and then turn back to the car when Bonnie orders them to. She leaves Kai and Eloise to hash it out.

"What was she talking about? What prophecy?" Ames asks but Bonnie does not answer. She watches Kai talk, gesturing at the sky and then Eloise enters back into the tent, leaving the door open.

"Granny Parker can see people's auras, like we can. We probably inherited it from her," Lia says suddenly and Bonnie looks at her. "She can tell we're different. Maybe being taught by her wouldn't be a bad thing? She's a siphoner too, though we have to pretend we don't know."

"You already go to school," Bonnie answers sternly. No way is she letting that cold, calculating woman near her kids to prepare them for sororicide. Five minutes later Eloise emerges with a bag and likely not wasting time with farewells Kai teleports to them.

"Got it. Let's go."

They get back in the car and drive away from the tent, which vanishes from view. Bonnie takes the rucksack from Kai as he drives and unzips it. She finds a few phials full of blood and then pulls out the ascendant.

"It's a triangle," Bonnie holds it up. The brass contraption is flat but as she flicks a gear it suddenly expands into a three dimensional pyramid.

Kai looks at it, frowning. "Huh, it looks familiar."

"Maybe you saw it as a kid?"

"That girl had it," Lia says as they drive faster, the sunrise only thirty minutes away.

"What girl?" Bonnie asks.

"The one with the rainbow hair. I can't really remember her at all but I do remember _that_ when she took us to granny's house."

Kai slows the car and stops at the top of a sandy bluff that leads to a pier. Below a short, narrow stretch of land thrusts out to a brightening sea. An isthmus. They exit the car, the wind making their hair fly.

"Whoever she was we don't have to worry about her anymore," Bonnie says reassuringly but Ames frowns.

"What if she was trying to help us?" Ames asks. "I – I think she was trying to keep us safe. Her name was Gemima…kinda like Gemini."

Kai, who had been staring hard at the ascendant in his hand suddenly drops it. He inhales a sharp breath, stumbling and Bonnie goes to him.

"You okay?"

Kai looks at the ground, half turned from her and after a long pause he nods and picks the ascendant up from the grass. He continues to nod, clutching the bag to his chest and when Bonnie tries to speak to him he starts walking ahead.

"…Hurry," he utters, his voice thick and low, lost in the wind. Bonnie stares after him, brow furrowed but begins walking down to the beach. Kai leads the way, followed by the twins and Bonnie brings up the rear.

The Pacific washes over the sandy beach, empty at this time. The horizon starts to turn grey as they step onto the isthmus which is a few feet above sea level. If the wind picks up the waves will crash over their feet and legs. Or sweep them into the ocean…

"It's cold," Lia chatters, walking closer to Ames and they link arms for warmth. They had changed out of their Halloween outfits and into jeans and heavy coats but the air is biting. Bonnie hugs herself, wanting to reach Kai but there is no room to move around the twins. He walks with his head down, staring at the bag. His back rises and falls quickly, like he is out of breath already. He walks faster.

"Kai? Do you think us being in another world will break the curse? Kai?" Bonnie frowns again and she stops the twins. He carries on walking, body shaking hard now. When he realises that he is alone he stops but does not turn.

"What's wrong?" Ames asks worriedly and Bonnie shrugs. She looks at the horizon and then her watch. It is 7:42. They have over ten minutes.

"Are you okay dad? Do you need your pills?" Lia asks suddenly, gasping and Bonnie looks at her.

"Pills?"

"Dad – dad's sick. Aunt Jo makes the medicine for him and he's okay. Didn't he tell you?"

"No he didn't…" Bonnie says and looks up. Kai shakes his head, shoulders rising and falling and after they call his name with concern he finally turns. His face is dry but his eyes are red raw and terrible. He looks shell shocked. Bonnie carefully moves around the twins and goes to him. She takes the bag from his shaking hands and then pulls him into her arms.

"What's wrong?" she asks but he continues to shake his head, not touching her. "Kai, you have to tell me what's wrong."

"…I – I can't," he utters weakly, so quietly she almost doesn't hear. "Oh fuck I think I did something, something so – so wrong. I hurt…" he cannot finish and trails off, making a noise in his throat. He sounds like a wounded animal.

"Hurt who?"

Again he denies her an answer and pulls back. Those big, haunted eyes move from her to the twins and he breathes fast, almost hyperventilating. Bonnie looks at the sky and feels a terrible zap of shock at how bright it is. Sunrise is moments away.

"Go, now. Girls run!" Bonnie urges and pushes Kai to move aside. He staggers, almost falling into the sea and they let the girls run past. Bonnie chases after them, bag in her hands, not looking back because an awful paranoia is telling her that he is not following, will not. He is stuck back there, frozen by some horror that he cannot articulate. Kai, who has something to say about everything and nothing. What has happened?

"Come on dad! Hurry up!" Lia shouts as she and Ames stop by a weather beaten wood fence at the end of the isthmus. Beyond is just an endless blue sea. Kai moves a few metres forward and then stops.

"I can't."

"What?" Bonnie grows still, hands clenching the bag with the ascendant inside.

"Go without me. I shouldn't be near…" he stares at his now appalled daughters and the tears that he appeared too shell-shocked to shed start falling. "You're better off without me."

"Kai what are you talking about?! We have to go!" Bonnie screams and moves forward but the girls get to him first. Their faces screwed up in grim concentration they grab Kai and drag him forward. He shakes his head at the contact, struggling back but then with a choked sob he falls to his knees as they pass the gate. The girls, holding Kai's arms, look up and their eyes are white.

"Do it mom!"

Kai jerks upright, sucking in a breath and his wide eyes stare blank and pale, at odds with his red hands and arms. Bonnie has no idea who is siphoning who and in that moment she does not care. Sunrise is seconds away. Trembling, she places the relic at the end of the isthmus and then pours a drop of Eloise Parker's blood onto the ascendant.

" _Sangiema Meam Et Nos Mundo Carcerema,"_ Bonnie chants but nothing happens. She repeats it, looking at the sky but again no bright light surrounds them. Then she remembers. "I need a celestial event! Kai!"

As a powerful coven leader Kai can do it without aid but as Bonnie turns to order him to cast the spell she feels a hand on her shoulder and a power she had not felt for years flows through her mind and body. All the fears, confusions and doubts evaporate in the serenity that settles, a peace where only four others float.

_NOW._

Their voices echo and merge in her head, no distinction between which twin it is. Kai is a writhing terrible discord, fighting against the harmonious power of the twins now in perfect balance. His guilt is almost as strong as the magic keeping him submerged, tainting it. From a small little haven amidst the magic Bonnie complies with the twin's order as the sunrises over the sea.

" _Sangiema Meam Et Nos Mundo Carcerema."_

Brilliant light beams down on them, scattering the curse that falls as dawn peeks over the now wild Pacific. The family are gone, leaving the whirling brass pyramid behind before it stops abruptly.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_For those of you confused at Kai's behaviour I suggest you read the end of chapter 16 again..._


	20. Chapter 20

Light shines in her eyes, blinding her momentarily and Bonnie looks away from the rising sun. The ascendant at her feet is gone, now in another dimension. A narrow strip of land rises up towards an island, one shrouded in mist. Beyond the gate they had raced to reach is just sea. The isthmus is gone and the mainland is lost in fog. They had made it.

"Stop!" Kai gasps and she turns, stumbling on her feet. He is on his knees, his arms caught between the twins. Their hands shine with that shifting lava light and he grits his teeth in pain. The girls stare straight ahead, their eyes white and vacant and they each carry a soft smile.

"Girls?" Bonnie moves forward, heart racing. They had made it but no sense of relief settles, just a spiking worry. She calls their names, standing directly before them but they stare through her. Shivering she looks down at Kai, who glances at her once and she takes a step back. His eyes shift continuously from his normal blue to a blank white. The girls have to have physical contact with each other to wield Expression but it seems they have found another way: using a siphoner as a conduit. He shudders, his arms shaking in their hands and Bonnie leans forward and pulls him free.

"Jesus…" he groans, landing on his chest in the grass and Bonnie sits with him, legs too weak to keep her up. He inhales deeply, fingers digging into the earth before he sits up, getting on his knees. He looks up at the girls, who have now linked hands. He shakes his head. "They used me, the power...I couldn't hold it," his voice shudders.

"You were going to leave," Bonnie says bitterly and he looks at her, his expression clouding. Guilt and sorrow shine but then something hard settles, a resolve.

"I still am," he gets to his feet, now looking at anything but the twins or Bonnie. She struggles to her feet as he stretches out his hand towards the house she can just make out through the mist. High up she sees a flash of light and then the mist begins to swirl, rising and clearing the air until it reveals a white Victorian mansion atop of the island. The mist spins into a ball above it, drifting into a silver orb fixed onto the highest point of the building, a lighthouse.

Bonnie looks back and with a jerk of shock she sees that a triangular ascendant is in Kai's hand. She had not heard him summon it. She scowls, confused and angry. "Are you serious?! We went through all that and you're just going to leave?!"

"You don't understand, I have to."

"No you don't. What happened? What's wrong?" she comes forward but again he just shakes his head, looking aside. A hot, needling anger rushes over her skin and she moves until she is in his face. "Look at them! They're like this because they want you to stay. You have to stay."

He gazes at her intensely, breathing heavily but he cannot look at the twins, who stand like serene statues. "I can't. If you knew…you'd kill me and I'd deserve it."

"I will kill you if you don't start making sense!" she barks and she gets a small smirk out of him. "Kai…I just got you back. If you leave the curse will make you forget us. Do you want that?"

He shakes his head, trying to control his breathing. He does not cry but she can feel the torment contained in his chest, it taints the air around them like smoke. Anger cooling but still deeply confused she lifts her hand and takes the island's ascendant from him. He breathes out a long breath, shoulders sagging, and glances at the twins.

"They're – they're still channelling."

Bonnie moves to her children. Tendrils of their wavy hair drifts in the soft breeze, the sea around them still. The wild sea they left behind in 2025 is gone. Despite the serenity of the place, and the Buddha like expressions the girls carry, a gnarling panic scratches at Bonnie.

"Amelia? Cecilia? Can you hear me?" she looks between them, at their unblinking gaze and her throat tightens. "Girls, you have to stop. I know – I know it's hard to let go but you have to."

They open their mouths and speak as one. "…He's going to leave," their voices merge and echo strangely, a reverb that should not be possible. Trying to keep any unease out of her own voice Bonnie moves closer and lifts the ascendant in her hand. She knows not to touch them when they use Expression, it will lash out, a defence mechanism.

"I have the key to the gate, see? He's not going to leave."

"Promise?" they direct the question to Kai, who is standing at a distance. His jaw clenches and after an agonising pause he nods.

"Let go of each other," he orders, voice thick and then turns and walks towards the house, not waiting for them to follow. Bonnie turns back to the twins who sport a delicate frown between their brows. Ames is the first to let go, staggering back and breathing heavy like she had been running. Lia inhales a ragged breath and looks like she wants to hold her twin but then hugs herself. If they touch again they might not be able to let go. It breaks Bonnie's heart. She drops the relic and opens her arms and they fall into her embrace.

* * *

The Lighthouse, the private residence of the Gemini leader, was established on the cloaked island before the turn of the century, built around an old square lighthouse. The exact year the island was sequestered into it's own pocket dimension is answered as soon as they step into the house.

"…Is that a Fender?" Bonnie asks as they move into the small, dark wood panelled foyer, which has a couch for guests and portraits of old Parker's looking down at them from the walls. The brand new looking radio sits on a table, by an old phone. Kai stops on the stairs above, looking over his shoulder. The turmoil of earlier is quietened but now he looks empty.

"It's 1964. Can't remember what date. The kitchen is through there," he waves his hand to the right and then without another word he ascends the staircase. Bonnie looks at the girls, who appear worried. Lia moves to follow him, looking particularly troubled but Bonnie shakes her head.

"Give him some space. I think he needs it."

"What's wrong with him?" Ames asks as Bonnie leads them into the spacious kitchen, which is just off the foyer. Is it large and light, with cream tiles and white cupboards. It leads to a huge glass conservatory, smelling of earth and filled with plants, pots and hanging crystals. It is beautiful.

"He'll be okay. We're together, we made it, that's what matters," Bonnie smiles and she truly feels relief and satisfaction for the first time since crossing over. They did it, they were a family again. Ames hugs her but Lia stands back, looking nervously at the staircase. She wraps her arms around herself again, looking on the verge of tears and Bonnie offers her hand and after a pause she comes to her mother.

"He's usually makes things into a joke if they make him sad but if he's really messed up he hides, doesn't talk or eat," Lia explains, Bonnie's arm around her. "I'll speak to him later."

Bonnie shakes her head. "I will, I know him."

"No you don't," Lia says, not unkindly but with a frank honesty. "Not like I do. He's my dad…and I _personally_ really need to speak to him, okay? It – it's private."

Bonnie, feeling like she has been gutted, nods. Kai has lived with Lia longer than Bonnie ever got to be a mother to her. They have years of stolen time to make up for. Pushing down her anguish she shepherds her daughters to the table where they sit. She looks for something to eat. The kitchen is a strange mix of vintage and contemporary. The oven is an old agar while a digital silver microwave sits in a corner. Whoever was here last made sure to bring modern creature comforts.

Ames looks at her twin and speaks quietly. "Did you feel how effed up he was? If he left I think he would have jumped into the sea. I couldn't see what was wrong."

Lia clenches her jaw, eyes rimmed with tears. "He'll be okay, we'll all be okay," she swallows, inhaling deep and offers a brave smile. She gets to her feet. "Mom I'll make everyone sandwiches."

"That's my job…well food is Kai's speciality but I'm not too bad. Remember?" Lia nods sadly but wrings her hands and Bonnie frowns, asking if she is okay but Lia looks away with a stiff nod. Not wanting to push her Bonnie points at a jar of peanut butter. "Wanna help?"

"I'm an awesome cook," Lia boasts, taking the jar from her. She is relieved to be moving, distracted from whatever is on her mind.

"Had a good teacher huh?"

"The best," Lia's smile falters but then she starts firing orders and Ames gets to her feet with a wry smile. She salutes.

"Yes captain."

* * *

Despite Lia's urging to speak to him first Bonnie convinces her to sit below with Ames, urging them spend time talking and exploring the conservatory that is filled with an array of herbs and potions. A pantry is set aside, with more rooms are accessed from there. It seems to never end and the girls forget about their worries for a time, engrossed in exploring together.

Bonnie walks up the stairs, the morning light shining through large bay windows as she reaches the first floor. From the outside the two story house looks like it boasts four or five bedroom at most but the corridor before her has six doors, and there are more floors above her, _many_ more. Hadn't Kai mentioned once that it was bigger on the inside? Bonnie looks down, hearing the girls gasping and laughing and she smiles. She carries a club sandwich and a cream soda for Kai.

A door at the end of the hallway stands ajar and Bonnie stops before it. She hesitates before knocking and receives no answer but after a pause the door swings open to let her pass. Beyond is not a single bedroom but a whole apartment. It is as comfortable and well-worn as below, again an eclectic collection of furniture from many decades. Open mouthed she moves through the living room towards a door that stands wide open. A dark bedroom is beyond.

"Kai?"

"…Go away."

Bonnie purses her lips. "If you didn't want me here you could have stopped me," she retorts and receives no answer. She walks in and finds him slumped in a chair by the window. The bed is unmade, the covers on the floor like he had kicked them off.

"Couldn't sleep," he says, looking at the blankets as Bonnie moves to him and lowers the plate and drink on a writing desk beside him.

"Lia made you something to eat. It's your favourite," Bonnie sits on the chair by the desk as Kai glances at the sandwich and then away. She smirks. " _You_ turning your nose up at food? It's the end of the world."

Kai does not smile at her attempt at lightness and she sighs. He looks at her seriously. "Keep them away from me."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"Not until you tell me why," she waits, staring at him fixedly but he shakes his head, grinding his teeth. Bonnie sits back, angry and confused. "You said you hurt someone. Do you think you're going to harm them? Did you have a vision?" she asks, faltering. She had not thought of that. All witches have visions but out of the two she had been more gifted with them.

Kai says nothing, swallowing and then after a tense pause he nods stiffly. "I won't, I promise I never would. I'd die before that."

Bonnie narrows her eyes at his wretched expression. "That's why you want to leave? What did you see?"

"I can't tell you," he says at once and every part of her wants to search through his mind for the truth. Whatever he saw it is too painful to utter. He licks his lips, leaning forward. "I won't let it happen…it's years and years in the future, sort of."

"Sort of? Kai you're not making any sense. Are you a danger to them? Yes or no?" she asks bluntly and again he hesitates and then groans, sitting back.

"Never intentionally, you have to believe that?"

"I do but if something accidentally happens you have to tell me. Keeping me in the dark is not going to help. If you hurt them, even accidentally…" she grits her teeth and he sees the retribution on her face. He nods, breathing out.

"Why do you think I want to leave? Maybe you'll be okay, maybe that future won't happen if I'm not here."

"No _we_ won't be okay. You're speaking of the future, visions. We both know it's not set in stone, we can change things. We have that power…Tell me, let me help?"

He shakes his head. "Staying here could have the same outcome. I don't know," he rests his elbows on his knees and rubs his face. "You know I want stay, don't you? It would kill me to leave you," he looks through his fingers like a child peeking at the dark and Bonnie offers a weak smile.

"We're in another prison world and neither of us wants to leave," she says tiredly and then stiffens, touching her back. Kai sees her sudden question and straightens as she gets to her feet, turning her back to him. Bonnie lifts her sweater and when his fingertips touch her tattooed skin she bites her lip and closes her eyes.

"It's unchanged…" his hands slide around her waist and he lowers his forehead against her bare back. Bonnie breathes out, hands gripping her top in tight fists. His fingers dig into her hips, pulling on her and when she feels his lips on her back she turns quickly. He stands and wraps his arms around her, kissing her desperately. Sweater rolled up around her breasts Bonnie slides her fingers into his hair, tugging and he groans into her mouth. Body pounding with a strange desire he backs her up until her back hits the wall but as her skin makes contact with the cold wallpaper she gasps and pulls away.

"No, you – you still haven't told me. You can't use this as a distraction."

He glares at her with torment, fingers around her arms and when he leans down to capture her lips she looks aside. His mouth presses against her cheek and he stops moving, breathing heavily against her. She wants him now, wants him to rip her clothes off and take her against the wall but she needs the truth more.

"…That girl, the waitress…I killed her," he says after a long silence, face still pressing against hers. He whispers into her ear in a small voice. "She – she said she was from the future, she – she was a heretic. I thought she was trying to imprison us – she was - but I thought she was an enemy. I didn't give her time to explain, I didn't care," he inhales sharply and his hands grip her tightly. "She wanted to change the past, she was trying to stop you dying."

"What?" Bonnie asks and Kai finally lifts his face. He gazes at her miserably.

"She said that you would die trying to stop the curse. That's what happened in her past, her time line I guess," he frowns in concentration and for the first time a spark of hope ignites in his eyes. He cups her face. "You survived, you're alive, it's different."

"I don't understand," she says but he does not appear to hear. He starts to smile.

"It's changed, that future doesn't exist anymore so maybe she won't either."

"Who?"

"Ames," he says and stops talking, having said too much. He swallows, caught in her gaze and then licks his lips, inhaling deep before speaking. "In that future Ames merges with Lia…and she wins. She goes back in time to stop the curse from getting us and – and…"

"You killed her," Bonnie whispers, finally putting it together. Kai says noting, just inhales a breath and holds it. They stare at each other unblinking, caught in the shared awful truth and that paralysis spreads, freezing the clock on the mantelpiece, suspending the net curtain lifting in the breeze and the beat of their hearts. Magic and horror spins inside Bonnie, a whirlwind that will either wreck her in a quiet, savage storm until she is buried and blocked or it will escape.

The curtain settles, the clock ticks and Kai inhales a sharp breath in that false calm before a wave of magic bursts free from Bonnie, banging the heavy bed against the wall and then sliding it up to slam into the ceiling where it bangs. The wardrobe and desk crash against the walls, sending clothes and paper bursting into the air where they spin, as if caught in a hurricane. Bonnie stands stiff, hands balled and teeth bared and stares at Kai with a terrible expression, ignoring the mayhem she has unleashed. A wind howls outside as Kai reaches for her, stabs of anguish and fear radiating from her into him.

"Bonnie? It's okay! It's okay," he yells over the noise, not telling her to stop. He knows what will happen if she tries to contain this, how she will inflict it inwards in a silent suffering that will block her. He withstands it until the bed falls to the floor, the shredded clothes and paper begin to slow and settle and then with a choked sob Bonnie falls to her knees and the mayhem stops abruptly, falling with her. Breathing hard, heart hammering he gets on his knees and gazes at her tear stained face sadly. He had contained what she had just unleashed and though it has hurt her he feels a strange catharsis.

"I didn't know who she was…but I do now. It's different Bonnie. It won't happen like it did for her because we've changed things. It won't happen," he repeats firmly and she nods, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"How – how do we make sure?" her voice is broken.

"…Stop them merging. I don't know how it happened in the future but we'll stop it." Neither have any idea how but knowing that they will stop at nothing to make sure their children our safe makes the pain less insufferable. The girl with the rainbow hair and tattoos will never become a reality.

"…Are you okay?" a small voice asks and they turn to find Lia and Ames watching them from the doorway. Lia stares at her father sadly while Ames inspects the ruined room, chewing her lip.

"We thought you were going to uproot the house. Bye bye Kansas..." Ames says, not looking at anyone as Kai helps Bonnie to stand. He puts an arm around her. She is still stiff but moves to his side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Bonnie says, calming herself and looks at Lia. "I lost control of my magic, it's nothing to worry -"

"We heard you," Lia interrupts and Bonnie and Kai stiffen. Lia moves closer, Ames still keeping her distance. "I know about Gemima, who she really was. Saw it when we crossed over, when we used expression. I saw what dad remembered but I – I shielded Ames from it but I had to tell her, it was too much. I'm not good at keeping secrets," she confesses and Bonnie nods, now understanding her desperation to speak to Kai. She smiles weakly and pulls the teenager into her arms. Kai stares at Ames, who appears engrossed in the pattern of the wallpaper.

"Are you okay? Amelia?"

She shrugs, inspecting pieces of crystal that litters the floor. "No rainbow braids for me…"

"Ames, look at me," he urges gently and she does, now grasping the blood pendant she wears. Tears rim her eyes, which she bats away. He holds out his hand, waiting for her to come to him but when she hesitates he moves forward and folds her against his chest. Ames exhales and begins talking at speed.

"I remember her, we knew who she was at the end, after the party. I don't want to merge, I don't want to win…if we stay here it won't happen. If we use _our_ magic we'll always be the same, always be balanced so no one will be more powerful. We should stay here forever and never leave," her words tumble free, fast and choked and she looks at Lia as she speaks. Her twin says nothing but then gives a fragile smirk.

"Balanced? I'm _way_ more powerful than you, you're delusional," she fires and Ames reaches over and pushes with her a weak smile. Kai lets go of her and Ames, feeling better, exhales a breath, smiling weakly up at him. He looks between Lia and Ames.

"Nothing will happen to either of you, I'll always make sure you're safe okay? Always."

The twins nod and move to each other, holding hands. Nothing happens but after a shared glance and nod they let go. Bonnie rubs at her face, exhausted and hungry and looking at the mess she has made of the room she suggests that they have something to eat and then rest...

They pick at the large lunch, which comprises of left over lasagna Bonnie finds in the fridge. Kai, though not battling the previous inner turmoil, has no appetite and instead reassures the girls repeatedly, especially Ames who is quiet and sullen and after a while they all fall into a heavy silence. They need to speak about what has happened, Bonnie wanting to comfort her girls, reassure them as Kai tries to but it is still too fresh and following their abrupt reunion. Here, on this island, they will have time, space and peace to mend and rebuild. That comes before what to do about the curse that chased them into the pocket dimension. As _Oh Boy_ by Buddy Holly plays quietly from the radio they all share jaw cracking yawns and they search for a bedroom that the twins can share, staying in the same wing of the house as Bonnie and Kai. After their sleepy exclamations of approval that they get an entire apartment to themselves they fall into their beds and are asleep within seconds.

* * *

Bonnie and Kai restore the wrecked room with waves of their hands, watching the furniture righting itself and then stare at each other beside the bed.

"Are you okay?" he asks quietly as the last fragments of the room resemble. She had not experienced such an outburst in years and the shock still makes her hands shake. Kai looks as she feels. He expects her to hate him, to retaliate. She takes his hand.

"It won't happen."

"I know…but I still did it. I can't get the image out of my head, the sight of her on the floor," he confesses, voice wavering. He clears his throat and looks aside, a gesture she remembers well, even before the merge. As if he can't bear to look at the thing that makes him sad, angry or happy for too long. Bonnie makes him look at her.

"She's alive, they both are and we'll do everything to make sure they stay that way. You said it yourself."

"I know. I wish that made it easier," he smiles weakly and exhales, staring down at their clasped hands and then back up at her. His gaze grows soft and warm, affection growing into longing. Her head is heavy with tiredness but when he leans down to press his lips to hers she feels like she could spend hours kissing him. It has been nine years since she felt his touch, the sound of his voice in her ear and the way her magic responds to the constant draw of his. Tension that had been in rigid control of her body starts to loosen as her magic gently laps against him and he groans into her mouth.

"I missed that, your magic. It's familiar, like an old song I heard once or something. You hum," he murmurs and Bonnie nods, experiencing the same sensation but his magic is a gravitational pull, wanting to envelope her rather than consume. She turns in his arms, pulling the cover back on the bed but he pulls her up against him, one arm crossed over her chest while his hand rests against her stomach. She had pulled her boots off and stands in her sweater, tights and skirt. They swing back and forth between wanting to make love with an agonising slowness and a ravenous wild desire to take each other like animals. This indecision keeps them staring at the bed rather than climbing into it.

"I want you so much," she whispers as he brushes her hair away from her neck and slowly kisses her skin.

"…How much?" he whispers into her ear and she smiles at the sound of his voice, letting her head fall back against his shoulder. He breathes against her back, face buried in her hair as his right hand slides from her stomach down to her thigh. He massages her muscles with his fingers, eliciting another moan from her before he pushes his hand under her skirt. She grips his right arm as his left hand slides into the baggy neck of her sweater, palming her breast through her vest.

Breathing fast now she reaches back and grips his hip, pulling him against her and then starts to gyrate her ass against his groin as his fingers reach into the junction of her thighs. He traces his fingertips against the damp cotton, stroking with his index finger and she sucks in a strangled breath. She is so sensitive and aroused that the gentle, barely there touch will stroke her into an early orgasm if he does not stop.

She stops palming his erection through his pants and he grunts, left hand squeezing her breast. Bonnie's knees connect with the bed and she turns, losing his hands before his lips crash onto hers, his fingers tugging on her sweater and she breaks away as he pulls it over her head before kissing furiously again. They pull their clothes off between kisses, until they stand bare chested, Kai's fly open and Bonnie now only in a pair of black tights. He pulls her up against him and ducks down to suck and bite at her breast, tongue swirling around a hard nipple as her fingers grip his hair before he pushes her down onto the bed. Propped up on her elbows she watches him rake his fingers down her stockings, creating ladders before smoothing his hands along her legs and then hooking his fingers into the top of her tights. Bonnie falls back as he pulls them down her legs, taking her underwear with them. Naked and pounding with heat despite the cold temperature of the room she grips the cover, chest rising and falling. He stares like she has him in a dark trance.

"I dreamed of this…" he mutters, gazing at her spread out below him with something akin to starvation as he reaches into his pants. Bonnie sits up, watching him fist his cock before she pulls his hand away. She looks up at him from below her eyebrows and he breathes out in anticipation as she loosens his pants and they drop to the ground. Sliding down to the edge of the high, wooden bed until her feet reach the floor she tugs him between her legs. She licks her palm and then wraps her hand around the base of his cock. Kai's hands flare red helplessly before he regains control as she pumps slowly. He breathes out her name, his fingers tangling in her hair as she leans down and parts her mouth around the tip of his length, teasing him with her tongue before closing her lips around him and sucking. Jerking her hand fast and swallowing him as deep as she can she works him with a torturous attention, wanting him to scrabble for the edge before snatching it away. It drives Kai past the point of endurance and after his eyes roll back as she swallows him deep down her throat repeatedly he pushes her away and down onto the bed.

Breathing hard they gaze at each other as the sun slowly lowers in the sky, disappearing behind a tree before the bay window and casting the room in a soft dappled light. Bonnie writhes, arching her back in the golden glow and he inhales a breath and holds it. He wants to spread her legs wide and relentlessly lick and tease her as she had him until she comes undone but he won't last. Muscles tense with need he watches as she pulls herself up and lies along the width of the bed, holding out her arms to him and he finally lowers himself down on her. Bodies flush, her breasts pressed tight to his chest, they lay still, savouring the intimacy of skin against skin, the tremors that run through each as they breathe. Kai brushes her hair back from her face, nose nudging hers, making her smile before he gently kisses her. They kiss and gently touch each other as the sun sinks lower, until their skin and lips tingle and they stare deeply at each other.

"I know we're both tired but, fair warning, I'm going to keep you up the _entire night_ ," Kai warns her and Bonnie smiles, looking at the window.

"It's not even dark yet."

"Dusk till dawn," he promises and she brushes her thumb along his cheek as his hand rubs up and down her thigh.

"What if we fall asleep?"

"Then I'll fuck you in your dreams. Literally. Okay with you?" he asks and she nods, not knowing what she is about to get herself into. She kisses him again, spreading her thighs and moves her hips until she feels his erection. She presses her hands against his ass and he slides his length back and forth against her wet vagina, grinding against her clit. She moans as he takes her hands and pushes them down, their fingers lacing as he nudges and then pushes into her slowly. She stares into his eyes, kissing softly as he moves gently and they share looks of relief at the sensation they have not shared for almost a decade.

"There was something I never said," Bonnie whispers as he stops, now buried deep in her. She speaks hesitantly and he tilts his head with small smile. "I wanted to tell you in the winter prison world, I wanted to tell you when we got out. I wanted to tell you nine years ago…" she inhales and gripping tight onto the old, vulnerable confession she releases it when she breathes out the truth. "I do love you. I - I know it's kinda sudden but I never told you before, I never got the chance but I never forgot what I felt. It's been nine years…but I still feel the same. If anything happens I just want you to know that."

Kai blinks, clearly not expecting to hear those words from her. He has imagined it, dreamed of it but never thought the love he has for her could ever be returned. He has only hoped for her forgiveness, another chance, especially after his earlier confession and her meltdown. Anything else was a fantasy. He opens his mouth, wanting to express what he feels but he is speechless. Strange thing about emotions, once he had little to none but could fool anyone into believing he did just through his silver tongued words but now he feels like he will explode with things suddenly unutterable. Mouth opening and closing helplessly, clearly overwhelmed, Bonnie smiles in understanding and kisses him tenderly until the tension drains from his body. He does not need to tell her he loves her, she has known for a very long time but she also knows once he finds his voice he will never stop letting her know, never stop showing it.

Fingers laced together either side of her head he begins to thrust into her slowly, staring deeply into her eyes as he sets a gentle pace, both wanting to experience this quiet, perfect connection for as long as possible but when she begins to gasp into his mouth, her hips bucking he moves faster, rising up on his knees. Gripping her legs he tugs her until she's in his lap, her shoulders and head on the bed while her back arches with pleasure. Legs wrapped around his hips Bonnie grips the cover below, his thumb circling her clit as he begins thrusting deep into her.

"I remember the first time," he groans, hand on her hip, directing her movements. "In 1903. You – you wore a fur coat."

Bonnie laughs. "I didn't expect that to turn you on so much."

"Are you kidding? You in high heels, mink and nothing else? Fuck I'm getting flashbacks," he groans, making her laugh again. He had run his hands through the coat and then bent her over a table and took her with a frenzied, angry passion.

"You just like taking me from behind like a caveman," she muses as he slows his pace, drawing his cock out with a forced restraint. He had almost come, gasping her name and now he stares at her with a sly smile, eyes glowing.

"I like you from _any_ and all angles…" he bends down and kisses her, pushing back in as Bonnie rolls her hips slow and steady. He pulls back, eyes narrowing. "I've said this before but when I first saw you, back in 1994, I was _so_ turned on. I couldn't stop thinking about you, watching you."

"Yeah that's not creepy."

"Come on, after eighteen years can you blame me? You're _so_ beautiful…God I wanted to grab you, tie you up and fuck you unconscious…is that creepy? I should probably stop talking," he says and she laughs. She remembers the brief time they shared in her mother's red house, enough to reveal his predilections but not enough to explore them. Tying her to a bed is just the start…

"What else?" she leans up and pulls away, making him hiss at the loss of her. She moves to the head of the bed when he pulls her back into his arms, rolling her onto her side. He cups her breast, pinching her nipple and she moans, jerking again and again against his erection pressed against her ass.

"When – when you stole a piece of the ascendant, when I caught you in the car. You have no idea how much I wanted to drag you into the backseat with me. I stayed back there while you drove to the caves, do you remember? I was so fucking hard."

She stills her movements, remembering the sweltering heat of the car, the sweat running down her skin and his, the feel of his long fingers around her throat. He had not choked her but the threat was implicit. At the time she had fought him, worried what he might do to get free but in the back of her mind there was always that little voice that wondered how lonely he was, if he saw a flesh and blood woman rather than his ticket to freedom. Wondered how desperate and how far his restraint and patience stretched…

Kai grows still beside her, trapped in her silence and he turns her to him, looking sheepish. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I chased you, I hurt you…" his fingers touch the scar above her heart, a healed hurt he gave her. Any she inflicted are invisible. He looks remorsefully at the mark shaped perversely like a kiss.

She nods. "And I hurt you. I forgave you a long time ago, you know that. We're both changed for good but I know there's still a part of you that's the same…and that boy is a freak," she smirks at his wide eyes and she lifts her hand to his face. "If you want to fuck me _now_ in the backseat of 90 degree car? You don't have to hide how much you want it because I want you too."

He makes a strange growling noise of aroused amusement, relieved and then kisses her deeply as she rakes her nails lightly down his stubble, which is almost a beard now. He had put on a lot of muscle since she saw him last, light years away from the boyish man she first met. He glides his hand down her smooth skin, along her hip and thigh before hooking her knee over his arm, drawing it back. Spread wide, Bonnie on her side, he pushes back inside her, groaning at how wet she is. Head resting against his arm Bonnie kisses him as he thrusts fast and hard, not holding back. Bonnie grips his bicep as he fists her hair, while his other hand snakes between her legs and begins rubbing.

"Yes, yes, yes -" he repeats the affirmation over and over, lowering her legs so she is curved tight against his jerking groin. Bonnie squeezes her thighs tightly together, causing Kai to swear, and bursts of pleasure wave trough her, making her cry out. He cups her breast as they kiss between intermittent gasps for air, pleas and the smack of their sweaty bodies connecting repeatedly. The last rays of the sun fade from the room and they orgasm in twilight, Bonnie screaming his name as the room shudders and Kai crushes her against him, arms around her chest as he comes inside her, breathing strained as his movements become slow and lazy, spending everything he has. Darkness settles over them, the room growing still and their laboured breathing surges and ebbs with the sound of the sea outside. Bonnie presses her face against the mattress, trying to catch her breath as Kai kisses her shoulder and holds her tight.

"Remember this is what should have happened Bon. You and the girls were meant to come to this place with me nine years ago. This is our fresh start."

Bonnie turns to him, sated and sleepy. She nods, thinking back. Their original fresh start got snatched away from them and they have had a long wait for another. Her happiness is mixed with a bitter rage. They have made it and god help anyone who tries to take it from them again. They kiss goodnight, neither wanting to sleep but exhaustion sweeps over them and they fall asleep within seconds. They rest peacefully for hours, the sea rolling and stars spinning outside and just before the sunrises Kai makes good on his promise to making love to her even if they both fall asleep, as her dreams take on an erotic cast, shifting from one lucid, sensual dream to another...

* * *

She dreams of a familiar car, the heat blistering, and she tastes leather in her mouth as she bites down as Kai fucks her roughly from behind. The sky darkens, the sun a black hole as he whispers about a special cave in the woods and promises of taking her again in the dark. She wakes biting her pillow, Kai gasping her name and then after a momentary pause followed by a hasty fumble she crawls on top of him and sinks down his hard length. Quick, hard thrusts make the bed shake and they come almost instantly, shaking hands laced together until she collapses against his chest.

Kai strokes her back, tracing patterns and laughs breathlessly. "Damn Bon, that wasn't even my dream. There's a small wood and tunnel here we could use as a substitute, if you're curious..." he says and then sighs, looking at the clock. "I don't wanna move from this bed but we better get up. Didn't use any contraceptives. Gotta take something."

Bonnie moans and then laughs, experiencing severe deja-vu. Nine years before they had discussed the same predicament. "Think I'll conceive in another dimension _again_?"

"You have a track record," he answers and they grow silent, smiling softly at each other until he looks aside. "This place isn't on a daily loop. It's monthly."

Bonnie blinks and sits up, staring through one of the windows. Mist had covered the island when they arrived but now she sees a spotless pale blue sky and the tree outside is heavy with pink blossom.

"It's spring here?"

"Yup. I _love_ this season, I'm pretty sure it's May too. Perfect, my fave month," he says sarcastically and then gets out of bed to fling the curtains back with a loathing look reminiscent of the Grinch but it soon disappears as he looks at her. Bonnie watches him move naked around the room with clear appreciation as he looks for his clothes, not moving from the bed. He cocks his eyebrow and she yelps as he waves his hand and she is pulled up and into his arms. Bonnie moans, head resting on his shoulder as he holds her up.

"I'm tired," she complains and Kai relents, lowering her back into the bed.

"Fine. I'll make it and serve it to you in bed, before they wake up."

"I remember how much you love making breakfast, so I won't ruin my appetite before you get back," she says coyly, fingers skirting between her legs before she lifts her hand to her lips and bites down on a knuckle. Kai laughs in remembrance, kissing her once and then after a clear struggle between leaving and pinning her to the bed he pulls on his boxers and t-shirt. Bonnie lies back down, smiling up at the ceiling as he leaves the room. She laughs, paddling her feet as elation swells up inside her and she throws out her arms, magic reacting to her joy as the room flexes, the window panes melting and reforming into prisms. Sunshine bends and scatters through the air in multihued splashes and she slumbers in this soft, warm light.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_sorry about the wait, I don't have a lot of time to devote to writing now unfortunately. So please be prepared for that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know :)_


	21. Chapter 21

Amelia blinks up at the ceiling, watching shadows shifting in the dawn light before turning her head on the pillow to look at her sister. Lia sleeps quietly, curled up on her side. They each have a separate room, connected by a door, but neither considered the alternative. Both have been only children for years, used to their own space, but they feel small and lost without each other now.

"…I used to dream of me and mom," Lia says quietly, eyes still closed. "Only I think that was you. I think I had visions of you both in Mystic Falls but didn't know it."

"How did you know what she looked like?" Ames asks as Lia opens her eyes and turns to her.

"Dad had this old, really weird picture of them together. They were dressed up as Victorians," Lia explains and they laugh. "I think he still has it. It might be with the luggage."

"Which is still in the rental car outside."

"In the real world," Ames adds and they giggle again. Lia grasps her arm excitedly.

"It's 1964! It's like we've time travelled!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Ames says dryly and their smiles fall. The peculiar dilemma of Gemima, the rainbow haired waitress, hangs heavy over both. Ames has tried to push the strange fact away but it will not leave her. In the future she wins the merge, travels back in time only to be killed by her own father. Nine years ago someone must have had to remove her body from her grandmother's kitchen, if the curse did not just erase all trace of her. Her grandmother never mentioned finding a dead girl in her kitchen so maybe there was nothing to bury. But she always felt uncomfortable in that room hadn't she? Something that made it hard to breathe.

 _…I_ _t's messed up…_ Lia's voice whispers softly into her thoughts and Ames snorts.

_To a super duper degree. I know it won't be the same for us, the future isn't fixed like the past but she still died. She's actually dead. Maybe she has a grave…future me should never have gone back to 2017…that's what got her killed, she – me – tried to mess with the past but you can't._

They nod at each other in silence and then sit up to rest against the wall. Lia sighs, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "One thing is for sure future you is a bad bitch. Time travel! Tattoos!"

Ames tells her to shut up, laughing and then grows pensive. "That's what we could be Lee. We can learn to control this power, we can do so much with it."

"I don't even know what the hell this is. I mean it feels so _right_ , like breathing, but it's breathing moon air or something. Which is why grandpa separated us," Lia says darkly and Ames feels her breath catch. The Gemini leader…only their father is the true leader.

"You have a lot to catch me up on. What job does dad do if he's not officially in charge?"

"He's a house wife," Lia says at once and they laugh again. "I'm not even joking. It might be the curse but I think if he could just stay at home, update his cooking blog, annoy aunt Jo and play baseball he'd be happy. Apart from that he finds siphoners in the coven. We have monthly meetings, it's nice but lots are still too scared to come forward. They call us leeches and stuff."

"Meetings sounds nice. There was no siphoners in Mystic Falls, it was just me," Ames touches her pendant as Lia nod, getting out of bed. She stretches and holds out her hand, wagging her fingers at a cardigan she folded over a chair. It shrugs and then falls to the ground. She sighs and drops her arm.

"The magic from the curse we siphoned is gone. I'm running empty."

Ames makes an awing noise and with a wave of her fingers she sends the zip up hoodie flying to her twin. Lia frowns at her as Ames smiles smugly, getting out of bed. She taps at the pendant around her neck. From a distance it appears to be a small faceted ruby but as Lia inspects closer she sees her mistake.

"Blood?"

"Vampire to be exact. They're only walking around and stuff because magic created them. Their blood is a renewable source of magic for me. Once we get our hands on more I'll make you one."

Lia gives her twin an impressed look, who shrugs off her ingenuity. They look for something else to wear, talking about the investment possibilities of a magical jewellery business, which then brings them to the dreadful realisation that they have no internet access. They peer at their cell phones, matching looks of horror on their faces.

"How are we gonna survive with no wifi?" Lia whines as Ames pulls out gingham dresses in a wardrobe that is clearly much, _much_ bigger on the inside. She pushes coats aside and finds another rail of shirts. The sting of despair fades.

"This is so cool. I think I've found Narnia," she laughs, about to explore the depths of the wardrobe when Lia grabs her wrist and they pause. From below they hear music and the clack and clang of pots. Lia inhales and smells pancakes and then the sound of her mother singing. Combined with the scent and the singing voice she has not heard since she was four years old Lia blinks back tears, overwhelmed with memory. Ames smiles at her in understanding and taking her hand they walk from the bedroom and into the spacious apartment they share but do not stop to explore it. They will have time for that later and the wardrobe and the mystery of where it leads to…

* * *

Bonnie swings her hips to the beat to _Hallelujah, I Love Her So,_ twirling the end of her dressing gown belt. Kai smiles as he makes a batch of scrambled eggs, watching her dance as she puts plates down on the table and when the girls appear she spins on the spot, singing loud before beckoning them to her. She takes their hands, twirling them around her and then to their seats at the breakfast table. The bay windows have a stunning view of the sea.

"What date is it?" Ames asks as Bonnie sits at the head of the table as Kai serves the eggs. He frowns, looking up.

"May 25th? I think. It'll last until June 21st and then reboot."

"Your birthday!" Lia proclaims and he smiles, nodding but Ames looks confused.

"Reboot?"

"Pris – these worlds are stuck in time loops," Bonnie explains as Kai sits at the other end of the table. "Usually it's daily but this one lasts for a month."

Kai nods, digging into his breakfast. "We'll grow for a month but then time resets the entire dimension, along with our bodies. We won't really age."

"Cool…" Ames smiles in wonder, forgetting her food until Bonnie prompts her to eat. She chews on bacon as Lia folds over a pancake and stuffs it into her mouth, looking thoughtful. Ames taps her fork. "They're usually on a daily loop? How do you know that?"

Bonnie stills and looks at Kai over the table. He wears a matching look of surprise before he covers it with an easy smile. "I told her. These places are a Gemini speciality."

Ames nods and carries on eating, not seeing the secretive look that her parents share. Bonnie sips on coffee as _House of the Rising Sun_ croons from the stereo. Lia gulps down orange juice, looking between Bonnie and Kai for a few moments.

"So…are you dating now?"

Kai chokes on a bark of shocked laughter and coffee. He opens his mouth and looks at Bonnie with wide eyes. She gazes at him, the corner of her lips quirking and the beginnings of doubt cloud his eyes as she remains silent. She looks at Lia, lowering her head and voice.

"Yes," she answers simply. Kai sighs audibly, sitting back and Ames laughs.

"This is so awkward. Imagine if either of you were dating or married!"

Lia gasps, shaking her head at her twin. "No way. Dad never dated."

"Neither did mom. I had more boyfriends than she did," she proclaims and they break into loud laughter. Bonnie rolls her eyes and then smiles at Kai over her coffee cup but it slops over the side at Lia's next question.

"Sooo…wedding?"

"Lia!" Ames cries, looking scandalised but she turns hopeful eyes to Bonnie and Kai. "That was our birthday wish; you know when we were together last? We wanted to be bridesmaids." Again the adults share looks of bewilderment, blinking in the morning light before they start laughing.

"She just agreed to be my girlfriend. Do you know how long it's taken me to get this far? Your mom is hard work," Kai answers, chuckling as Bonnie sits back, saying nothing but she casts him heated gazes, which he returns with a smirk. They finish their breakfast until the girls stand, itching to move and see what the house has to offer. They demand that Kai give them a tour and he agrees.

"This place is a _lot_ bigger then it appears. There's a map somewhere…" he narrows his eyes in thought as Bonnie comes to his side and he places his arm around her waist. Still dressed for bed they move to the glass conservatory, which is accessed through French doors at the end of the kitchen.

"We've seen this," Lia says and Kai smirks.

"You sure? See that door behind those big ferns? Open it."

Frowning but following his instructions the twins walk along the tables that are littered with pots and earth, to the side of the conservatory. A small white door is almost hidden behind plants, its paint old and peeling. Kai stands back with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, smiling as Ames opens the door. More leaves block the path and the girls push them aside and step through.

"…Holy sh…sugar," Lia breathes, staring upwards and Bonnie follows. They are not in a store cupboard as she first suspected, or even another part of the same small conservatory. The greenhouse is immense, the vaulted glass ceiling tall enough to house palm trees and others that she has to crane her neck to look up at. She can hear a fountain in the distance and inhales the scent of petrichor and jasmine. The foliage is dense but sunshine beams down at them through foggy windows.

"How big is it?" she asks with wonder. They appear to be in a section that houses orchids, growing in the root systems of mossy trees. Bonnie experiences an vivid memory of another Victorian glasshouse, where orchids had grown in the steaming heat while an endless snow had fallen outside. Spring sunshine bathes them and they soon become warm.

"I'm not sure exactly," Kai answers as she takes off her robe, revealing Kai's shirt she had put on. He comes to her side. "It's _huge_ , with all sorts of rare plants and cuttings. There's even an original white oak on the grounds."

Bonnie widens her eyes and looks back at the plants as the girls try to sniff the orchids. "The only thing that can kill an Original? If Klaus knew he'd burn this island to the ground."

Kai laughs and then sighs wistfully. "I'm bummed I never got to meet an Original vampire, especially since they went missing. That your doing?" he asks but Bonnie shakes her head with a shrug. They begin walking, the twins already lost in the foliage.

"Elena has been missing too, for years now. I think the two are connected but I could never find any of them."

"Hmm know what that means right?"

"They're dead?"

"Even without the Other Side you can speak to the dead Bon, if you try hard enough. What if they're in a place like this?" Kai asks and Bonnie stops as they come to a huge rectangular lily pond the size of a swimming pool. The girls wave from the other side as the adults sit on a bench. Bonnie taps her knee thoughtfully.

"It would explain why no locating spells worked. But how?"

He shrugs. "I'm just hypothesising. The Gemini wouldn't lock them up unless provoked and I heard nothing. So something else…"

The sit and ponder in silence, watching the pond as a warm breeze blows over their faces. Bonnie gazes at him, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as he sits back. She had taken the contraceptive potion that morning but Kai says they can make capsules, with ingredients from the greenhouse. Bonnie looks at the pond again, a thought plaguing her.

"Lia said that you're sick…"

Kai stiffens, looking at her before he shrugs and looks aside. "I'm managing it."

"But what is it? Are you okay?" she leans closer to him and he glances at her.

"It's not catching or anything…well, I don't think so," he adds with a frown and then stares at her fixedly. "After I merged with Luke I could generate his magic but I should have gotten Jo's. Every time I used it, like when I helped get you out of 1994, I got sick. Sweating, shakes like a fever or a bad trip. Just all around crappy."

"But you got better when you took her magic?"

"She gave it to me. If she hadn't I think I would have died if I kept using the magic I had. As soon as she did I was fine…and the world didn't disintegrate around you. I was worried you'd get sucked into oblivion if I died," he confesses and she smiles briefly before growing serious. He had died in a prison world before and thin spots had appeared, spots that did not mend. That was how they had run into Silas, who escaped oblivion only to be trapped by them in 1994...

Bonnie blinks and focuses on Kai. "But you started to get sick again? When they were ten?"

He nods after a pause. "Yeah. I couldn't figure it out and I still don't know why. It doesn't happen when I use magic. It's just random. Jo is stumped but we found something that helps the symptoms, just through trial and error. I got really lucky. The herbs grow here."

"Good. I'll help you. You haven't heard of anyone else with it?"

Again he hesitates, licking his lips before he speaks. "…My mom died when I was twenty. It was sudden, she got sick and a month later she was dead. My dad said it was a very rapid, virulent form of cancer but he lied. When I got sick he confessed that she had a magical disease, didn't know what it was but he was sure it was magical in origin. He didn't want people to know in case it caused a panic."

"Was it magical?"

"The illness fed on her magic, made the disease stronger. It drained it, along with her life…and that's what happens to me if I don't take the medication."

"A siphoning disease?" Bonnie asks and he smirks.

"Ironic right?"

"But she wasn't a siphoner?"

"No. It's strictly a Parker speciality. Our genes are cursed," he adds cheerfully and then winces. "Sorry. I don't think the girls are at risk or you, no one else has gotten sick after all this time but…"

"You don't know for sure."

They sit in silence, mulling it over until the sound of running feet and heavy breathing reaches them. The girls, sweaty and grinning, stop at the bench.

"There's a locked door," Ames gasps.

"Called _The Poison Room_ ," Lia finishes excitedly.

Kai looks at them with a cocked brow. "…And you want me to open it?"

Ames scoffs. "We can open it we just thought it would be polite to ask first."

"Oh my god," Bonnie groans as Kai laughs, getting to his feet and pulling her up with him. She looks at the girls. "This is purely educational. No touching, taking or inhaling anything."

Kai nods and then hums. "That's a point: school."

The twins groan but Bonnie nods. "He's right. While we're here you're not just gonna sit on your butts doing nothing. You should both be studying right now…but seeing as this is a witch house…"

They gasp in happiness, Ames clasping her hands. "It'll be like our night classes. No math, no science, no history," she sighs with bliss as they walk through the glasshouse, passing into a section with an array of herbs that hang from drying racks. Kai shakes his head.

"Yes math, yes science, yes history. Bonnie's right, you're not gonna spend your days floating feathers. You'll learn all there is to know about magic. Lia you were about to start defensive magic anyway."

"Will _you_ be floating feathers while _we're_ studying?" Ames answers back, though the knowledge that they will be taught defensive magic makes her want to fly.

Bonnie tilts her head. " _We'll_ be working out how to break the curse when we're not teaching _you_."

"And when we're not floating feathers," Kai answers as he presses his palm over the lock of the door. The girls roll their eyes.

"Will Granny P teach us? We could go see her between sunrise and sunset?" Lia asks and Kai stills as they look through the door. Frosted, foggy glass offers an obscured view of the room beyond. Bonnie shakes her head.

"No, you leave her alone. We'll teach you. Now let's see what the Gemini keep behind locked doors…"

* * *

" _Oleander_. Seers burn it and inhale the fumes to get visions. Too much and you end up hallucinating. Me and Jo did it once, most fun we ever had together," Kai reminisces with a grin and Bonnie looks at the small white flowers growing on the small tree.

"Your family are a little _too_ into narcotics, you know that?" Bonnie deadpans as he laughs. She sighs, peering closer at the delicate flowers. "I used to have so many visions when I was a teenager. I don't get them as much now."

"Well if you're tempted," he waves his hand at the flowers but she shakes her head, straightening.

"No thanks. I also know that doing too much and you could end up poisoning yourself _and_ go mad," she moves away as Kai follows at her back. The twins are back in the house, looking for clothes to wear. The fascination had worn off quickly when they could only look and not start brewing deadly nightshade for their enemies. The Poison Room is about the same size as the conservatory, with many glass cabinets lining a side wall. Belladonna, wolfsbane, vervain and many other plants grow in neat rows and powders are stored in glass bottles in the cabinets. Tables line the other side of the room, where dried herbs are crushed and bottled.

"Every supernatural creature has a weakness. Werewolves have aconite and silver, vampires have vervain, sunlight and the white oak. Their strength is balanced by weakness," Kai muses as Bonnie stops to look at the labelled bottles. Sunlight slants through the glass around them and waves crash against a nearby beach. She smiles.

"Wondering what balances a witch? When we step out of line Nature doesn't create a plant or metal, she strikes us with the very thing we're meant to serve."

"Or takes it away," Kai adds and again Bonnie thinks on his illness. His magic weakens when the illness is not treated. Could it be something that only targets witches? A rare disease as she has not heard of it affecting anyone else.

"Have you tried healers?"

He nods, fiddling with a mortar and pestle. "Yup and nothing. They agreed it was magical in origin, the way it feeds on it," he says and after another long, tense silence he looks up and smiles. "This is boring. I wanna show you more…and then fuck you again until I can't move."

Bonnie smirks as he takes her hand and pulls her from the room, locking it with a wave of his hand. "And when you can't move?"

"You take over, duh."

"Duh…" cheeks warm Bonnie follows him back into the kitchen and up the stairs. Her mind whirling with the possibilities of how they will tire each other out Kai leads her up and up, higher than the house has any right to be. He wants to work from top to the bottom.

"It's got like a thousand rooms."

"That's impossible."

"It might be more. This is meant to house my coven, if they need protection, so lots of space…Eloise loves illusions and regularly fucks with dimensional proportion of things, as you witnessed with her house. She pushes the boundaries. The Lighthouse spreads through the island…and under it," Kai adds, out of breath as they reach the top of the staircase. There is just a short corridor with a door at the end.

"The attic?" Bonnie sits on a couch, chest heaving. The spiral staircase made her feel dizzy.

"Take a look," he urges and Bonnie eyes him for a moment but once her breathing is under control she moves to the door.

She expects to find a room bigger than it should be and her guess is right but it does not prepare her. Attics store keepsakes and memories, broken things that have too much sentimental value to discard. trunks full of baby clothes and old records, albums of photographs, letters and bus tickets. Faded wedding dresses and broken beds. Old funeral wreathes. A place of quiet and still, an ephemeral collection of cherished and forgotten pasts. For a two thousand year old coven there is a lot to forget…

"Oh my god!" Bonnie gasps, staring wide eyed in the gloom of the room, which is speared by beams of light. "This isn't an attic, it's a warehouse."

"Pretty much. Wanna explore?"

"Where are the girls?" she asks, looking back at the door. They are many floors up, Bonnie counted seven in all but she may be wrong.

"They're in the wardrobe trying on stuff," he says and then rolls his eyes at her uncertainty. "I can feel every presence on this island. If a mouse sneezed I'd hear it. We're safe here. They'll probably be in there for hours. I'll show it to you next, we can get a change of clothes there."

Bonnie nods and follows Kai into the attic, which is separated into sections by wardrobes, large picture frames and bookshelves. Kai takes her hand and leads her past a flank of beds, mattresses piled on top of each other in topsy-turvy columns until they disappear in the darkness of the roof. He eyes her suggestively over his shoulder. Bonnie gives him a heavy lidded look and he laughs.

"They're only good for jumping on anyway…"

"Where did all this stuff come from?"

"The family. If no one else wants their stuff when they die we store it here. A lot of it is magical so we can't give it to thrift stores."

"These musty mattresses are magical?"

Kai turns, grinning. "Fertility spells are woven into them. Why do you think there's so many of us?"

"Gross." Bonnie pulls a face as she eyes the beds, careful not to touch and he laughs again.

"They also have enchantments so you sleep well and ward off nightmares and stuff."

"What about our bed?" she asks and feels a pang. Is it their bed already? By rights they should be working to break the curse keeping them on the island not familiarising themselves with it. She knows that is the sensible thing to do, to get back to their lives but she has no desire. Was that life even real? The people she has met, the job she has and the friends she has made, was it all fake? Bonnie stares at the dark interior of a busted television set and Kai rubs her arm, looking at her thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?"

"Should we be doing this?"

Kai stiffens, jaw clenching. "Doing what?"

"We're not doing anything. Shouldn't we be trying to stop the curse?"

"We will, you said it yourself. Do you want to right now?"

"Do you?"

"It's not going anywhere and we're safe here. We could stay for as long as we need. Not forever," he adds hastily at the anxious look on her face, moving closer. He smirks. "As nice as this is I have no desire to spend forever in another prison world. We'll leave, nothing is stopping us this time."

"We have Eloise's blood and the ascendant. The curse can only get us at sunrise or set. You asked your grandmother to get siphoners. Do you really think there's enough to drain the curse?"

Kai shrugs. "It's worth a try."

"What about your coven? Your father?" Bonnie whispers, rage igniting in her belly at the thought of the man. He thought he was acting for a greater good, seeing her children as an imbalance but he ripped their lives apart. This is why they must stay for as long as they need, not to mend the pieces together, that's impossible, but to grow new ones. She does not know what will happen when they leave, if those Gemini will try to separate them again but this time they will be ready.

Kai gazes at her deeply before speaking and she is caught in the darkness of it. "…If I kill him would you stop me?"

"…No."

"If I trap him in another world would you stop me?"

"I'd push him in as you chant," she says and Kai nods with relief, breathing out through his nose. She touches his cheek gently. "What are you planning?"

"I don't know yet but he's going to fucking suffer, they all are."

Bonnie thinks of her cousin Lucy, of the few Bennett's who had a part in the curse, and her stomach turns. They had sided with the Gemini rather than help her, not out of anger but fear. Her own scattered family were so scared of her children they attacked, rather than reach out. Her rage is intense and sharp but she remembers the trembling, regretful voice of her cousin and cannot get it out of her mind.

"We need to know about the Bennett prophecy that started this mess. We have to figure it out and what it has to do with the girls, if at all."

Kai nods, pulling her into his arms with a sigh. "Seers from all covens have been reporting about something bad coming. There's a library here, the Gemini Archive, we can start there."

Bonnie nods, pulling back and he leans down to kiss her softly. The touch is light but when she steps away he pulls her back quickly. His tongue parts her lips, his hands sliding down her back to rest on her ass. The kiss is slow and leisurely and when she pulls back for air every part of her tingling and pulsing. Kai draws his thumb over her lip.

"I know you're grossed out by the beds but it could be fun. I'm thinking the stacked mattresses. You'd be at the top, like the princess and the pea. I'd be the hard thing keeping you up…" he bites his bottom lip as his eyes start to shine mischievously. Bonnie arches an eyebrow.

"No chance. You'll have to catch me first," she sing songs, backing away and before Kai can respond she disappears. He grins, cocking his head.

"You know I can sense your every movement?"

"…Doesn't mean I can't outrace you old man."

Kai gasps. "That's low. I'm super sprightly for a fifty something year old."

"…Forget I said anything," her dry voice drifts simultaneously from above and behind him and he spins. He can sense her presence near the boxes full of old photographs but he ignores it, pretending that he has no clue.

"Does it gross you out? I mean I don't even look my physical age…" by appearances they were both in their mid-thirties now, though look younger.

"When I'm eighty you'll be a hundred."

"But look fifty and still get it up," he assures her and hears a chuckle from behind a manikin. "When I get you I want you on your hands and knees. A bed is optional."

"…And if I catch you?" she asks, her voice echoing around him. He does nothing to disguise his voice, he wants her to know exactly where he is.

"Hmm, I just realised I don't really know what your fantasies are. What do you dream about Bon?"

There is silence and he stills, listening. He can imagine the heat bathing her cheeks, the constriction of her chest as she tries to speak. Her voice is soft when she finally talks, not hiding where she is. She is two feet from him, crouching behind a trunk.

"…It depends. On the way here, I thought if we weren't going to make it I wanted you to take me wherever we stopped. In a bathroom stall by the side of the road, against a tree…Anywhere. Quick, desperate and unseen. Then I had nine years before that…" her voice drifts off and he exhales a pent up breath. He had imagined a similar scenario on the way to Portland. However he cannot imagine her fantasies are as messed up and pathetic as his in the nine years they had been separated. He thought she was dead but she had a sliver of hope he was alive.

"What did you imagine?"

"…When – when I had sex with men I pictured you," she whispers in a breathless voice. "I sometimes got so…dissatisfied that I imagined that it was an illusion, a trick. I'd come and open my eyes and see you on top of me, inside me. I'd cry afterwards because I knew it was impossible. None were witches, none were you."

Kai licks his lips, chest rising and falling. He was painfully hard now but clenches his hands around a large picture frame. "Did you ever…?"

"Create an illusion of you?" she finishes for him and Kai nods, Bonnie still hidden from him. "Yes…mostly you spooning me."

He laughs. "Really?"

"Yeah, I had lots of dreams about that actually but you'd siphon my magic too. Those were weird. Those started after I saw you at the rave."

"After my painfully awkward apology? I didn't know I could stammer until that day," he confesses and she laughs.

"What did you hope would happen?"

"You'd set me on fire and shout at me until I stopped burning. Then we'd have a drink, get wasted and then I'd screw away all your anger against a cold wall of that warehouse."

"…We would have been fucking for days."

"Ooh Bon. We have _so_ much time to make up for."

"I know. Did you create illusions of me?" she asks and he hears her shift on her knees, the catch of her breath. She is turned on. His hand reaches for his fly, toying with the zip.

"At first but it wasn't enough. It's superficial, there was no magic…Bonster, when I catch you, I'm going to make your magic go fucking nuts."

" _If_ you catch me," she says as Kai suddenly leans over the trunk but she is gone. Out of the corner of his eye he sees the edge of her bathing robe and spins as she disappears behind a huge ancient family portrait.

He throws out his hands and the walls ripple, the lights dimming before the attic suddenly plunges into darkness. He hears her ragged breathing and grins as a drumbeat starts in the dark, a note that resonates around them before more join it. It grows louder, becoming clearer as a kaleidoscope of flashing lights suddenly burst through the attic.

_The rave._

He wonders briefly if this is the right thing to do but his head is thumping with memory, his body pounding with want. When she flashes past him she is no longer dressed in a robe but a dark dress, black tights and coat. Her hair is different, a short bob like she used to wear. She had changed her appearance and Kai follows suit. When he finally catches her she freezes as he prowls forward in a high necked black frock coat and jeans.

"Oh god," she says in a choked voice, her face bathed in light and colour before he pounces on her and pushes her into the shadows. Her back hits a cold brick wall and she looks up to see a ribbon of starry night sky between buildings. She exhales and her breath mists in the cold February air. Music beats faintly from the warehouse, lights flickering on the wall opposite. The base thuds in her chest, matching her heart. His illusion is total, a testament to his power.

"This is turning me on so much," he moans and kisses her hard. She tastes alcohol when his tongue thrusts into her mouth and then she stops thinking about gin and stars when his hands squeeze her tits. She grips his head, feels the tickle of heat along her skin and knows if this happened during that night she would have set him on fire, not push him to his knees. He rips her leggings and panties down, so they rope around her ankles. Bonnie grips his hair, tugging and he looks up at her on his knees. Her skin stings in the cold but she ignores it and she just has time to inhale before he leans forward, spreads her and slowly swipes at her clit with his tongue.

Bonnie groans, her head falling back against the wall as he buries his face between her legs. At the real rave, now so many years ago, she had threatened to maim him and stormed out, inflicting her violence on another. Does she harbour any of that anger still? She forgave him but she feels a prickle of sadness for the girl who left and decided to carry all that bottled rage and pour it into a hunting knife instead. Would it have been different if they fought? If they fucked? She doubts it would have solved anything but it might have prevented 1903 and everything that came after.

"…You'd be gentle back then, if this happened. You were shaking," she says softly and he pulls back to stare at her. He licks his lips and a pulse of lust shoots through her. Kai inhales sharply.

"What do you want?"

"I don't want soft."

"…Good."

He presses his lips to the back of her hand then bites her palm hard enough to leave a mark before he resumes eating her out. Bonnie leans her head back, moaning low in her throat, and imagines where it would have led. Would she have taken him back to her dorm room? No, that's what he would hope for, that man who could barely string a sentence together he was so nervous. He would get drunk, try to numb the feelings that were making him crazy but it would not work. His fantasy was a chance of reconnection but she would not have given him that mercy.

"If – if this happened I'd get what I wanted and walk away, leave you on your knees, unsatisfied," she whispers, looking up at the sky as his tongue circles her clit. Her legs shake and she rests her knees against his shoulders, otherwise she would fall. She looks down and he gazes at her with a predatory excitement, still working her and she gets the feeling he wants to respond and she smiles sharply. "Don't stop, use that tongue for something else for once."

He chuckles and looks back down, his fingers digging into her ass, pulling her closer. She grabs his hair in fists, the pleasure building until she begins to buck slowly against his mouth. He lathes his tongue over her flesh in long, slow swipes before concentrating on the small bud of nerves and never stops. She gasps, her hands alternatively gripping his head and waving helplessly in the air, the pleasure becoming so intense she wants to escape it. He looks up as she keens, almost sobbing and licks and sucks on her faster, left hand on her hip. Bonnie closes her eyes but she still sees the lights flashing around them, rocks with the thud of a fast, deep base bouncing through her body. Her eyes fly open and she shouts as he pushes two fingers inside her without warning, easing them in and out slowly before ramming them back in. Bonnie swears and shouts his name loudly.

"…I think they're here," a faint, distant voice says and Kai and Bonnie freeze. She stares wide eyed into the dark as far away someone stumbles. Bonnie tugs on his hair, almost tearing it out and he pulls back, blinking before he grins wickedly and pushes his face back between her thighs.

"Kai," she hisses, legs shaking but all words get sucked back into her chest with a ragged gasp as her knees give way as the first wave of her orgasm spikes through her. Kai supports her down to the ground, not stopping but as she mews loudly he reaches up and covers her mouth. She bucks and arches, riding out her orgasm, biting into the palm of his hand as he licks and finger fucks her, her legs shaking and stiffening around his body. Riding out the orgasm, one of the best she has ever had, Bonnie pants around his fingers that he forces into her mouth. She sucks on them, tasting herself. Smaller shudders pass through her as the pleasure fades, her limbs sapped of strength and now filled with something like honey. Kai pulls back after one last twirl of his tongue, making her hips buck. He rubs his face against her inner thigh, almost purring. She breathes heavily, hands now cradling his head gently but he keeps her down when she tries to get up, coming back to reality.

"They're going around in circles, they won't find us."

"…Kinda mean."

"And seeing this would be better? They'd need eye bleach and therapy," Kai comments and she smirks, stretching out her arms with a sated satisfaction. He leans over her, propped up on his hands. "So if this really happened you'd be walking away about now?"

She nods. "I wouldn't have given you anything."

"You think this wouldn't have meant something to me? Even using me for sex would have been more than I dreamed. Though I don't think I could have touched you without shaking like an idiot. Trust me, just looking at you satisfies me."

Bonnie hums happily, running one of her legs between his until she brushes against his softening erection. She wants to wrap her hand around him, make him lose the ability to speak but when she hears a noise closer to them she sits up, pushing him back sharply.

"Stay here, I'll go first."

"Go first?" he laughs, helping her stand. His clothes shimmer and change back into a t-shirt and sweat pants. "I feel we're in a school closet or something. Not that I ever did that, another drawback of being home schooled," he sighs, cocking his head. "Speaking of, I saw a picture of you in a cheerleader uniform when I was in your high school, you looked so cute."

Not wanting to know _why_ he was at her old school Bonnie cocks her head. "If you were at my school with me I don't think the locker room would have been safe," she comments, standing on her tiptoes, back in her dressing gown as she brushes her lips close to his. Kai narrows his eyes.

"I would have probably tried out for a place just to fuck with you and your friends."

Bonnie laughs at the thought and then remembers how much he likes baseball. If they had a team she would have cheered him on. She lets herself daydream as she moves back, hearing the girls clearly now. They're giggling and Bonnie feels a swoop of embarrassment. She hopes they did not hear.

"Okay I'm gonna get dressed and then we're going to sit down and plan what we're gonna do while we're here." Bonnie taps her finger against her wrist and thinks somewhere Caroline would be proud of her. She then feels a deep pang of guilt. She has not seen her friend for some time or even thought about her much…

Kai nods, saluting and watches her move back through the dim aisle that is created by stacked paintings. More line the walls behind them. They cover the entire attic, thousands upon thousands, nestled between broken clocks and amulets. Bonnie stops, staring up and he turns. Directly over him is a large photograph of his family, taken before he and Jo were born. It is illuminated by a beam of light.

"Is that your mother?" Bonnie asks, pointing at a small, heavily pregnant woman with wild curly blonde hair. The young woman is sitting next to a twenty something Joshua Parker. Behind him Eloise and another man stand. They appear to be in a garden.

Kai looks at the picture of his parents and grandparents. "My dad had recently become coven leader, recently married…"

Bonnie nods, inspecting the wall and shelves. She catches glimpses of Kai, from baby to adolescent and smiles, moving closer. Kai's mother smiles down at a sleeping baby. He must have been a month old. Bonnie picks up a stack of photos and sees more and more of Kai. She settles them down, her stomach jumping strangely as he says nothing, just watches her with a mask like face. Amongst the picture frames she spots a child's baseball glove, a crude drawing of the sun and a hand print turkey. More and more items and she can guess she'll find clothes in the trunk at her feet.

"What's all your stuff doing up here in the dark?"

Kai shrugs, avoiding looking at her. "Are you surprised? My dad didn't want _any_ recollection of me in the house. There's a lot missing. Guess Eloise got her hands on some, otherwise there'd be nothing left," he smiles briefly, hands in his pockets and she wishes she had not mentioned anything but the wound is visible and she cannot ignore it.

"Is that why you wanted to come up here? Find your old things?" Find them but not alone. Had he wanted her there for support? She could not imagine how she would feel if her family tried to remove every trace of her existence, warranted or not. She waits for an answer but Kai just shrugs again. The mood lies heavy and thick, only broken by the sudden appearance of the twins.

"There you are! We found something cool!" Ames and Lia appear at the end of the aisle, wrapped in large towels. Underneath they wear old fashioned bathing suits and swimming caps cover their hair. Bonnie goes to them with a soft smirk, after giving Kai a searching look.

"There's a pool here?"

"Three! It's indoor. It's nice and warm and huge. There are slides!" Ames brandishes a pair of goggles. Her towel is daisy yellow, while Lia's is pale lavender. Their favourite colours.

"We went through the wardrobe and found this amazing room full of clothes! For all ages and sizes. There are dresses and swords and capes! We're gonna dress up every day. There's another door that leads to the swimming pool's changing room. Let's go," Lia says excitedly and grabs Bonnie's hand. Kai watches them as they pull her away, hanging back. Lia beckons to him but he shakes his head with a small smile.

"I'll come later. Promise," he adds as their smiles falter. Bonnie stares at him, sees the hesitance and dark forgotten childhood around him and moves forward. She takes his hand and pulls him to her. He gazes at her as her lips curl up and she pulls him down to whisper in his ear.

"Think there's a cheerleading uniform in there?" she pulls back, looking at him innocently and a slow smile spreads over his face.

"Wouldn't a lifeguard be more appropriate? Never got to see _that_ picture."

The twins look at each other, pulling disgusted faces. "We heard that."

Kai laughs and when they leave the attic he does not look back.

* * *

After spending the day swimming and exploring more of the house Bonnie lays curled along Kai's body, her back to him. She is exhausted and happy but a question keeps her up.

"What do you think is happening out there?" she asks and Kai groans behind her sleepily. They had made love earlier, after showering.

"…What do you mean?"

"What the curse has done. Have they forgotten about us completely? Do they still think we're at the theme park?"

Bonnie turns to look at him as he leans on an elbow and stares down at her. "I don't know. We'll need to pay my grandmother a visit soon, after sunrise," he sighs and slumps back down. "Jo better remember _something_ otherwise I think that demon cat will have killed Damon, before he dies of starvation."

"What?" Bonnie laughs, confused. Kai grins and lifts his hand towards his cell phone. It flies off the nightstand and after catching it he opens up his picture gallery. They have no reception or internet but there is electricity, so their phones won't drain of power.

"I have a husky with bright blue eyes and a thing for brunettes."

"Damon," she laughs in understanding, looking at a picture of the dog, the light bathing their faces. Her smile fades and Kai tilts his head, staring at her.

"How did he die?"

Bonnie shrugs. "Elena went missing and Damon wanted to find her. I had just given birth, on the run from your coven, but he found me. I did a locating spell but I couldn't find any trace of her, no matter how many times I tried. He didn't like that…so he took one of the girls, said I needed more motivation."

"What?!" Kai sits up, dropping the cell and Bonnie sits up with him, nodding.

"Damon was a dick but he did become my friend, in a weird way…something wasn't right, it was like he had switched off his humanity."

"Had he?" Kai's voice is low, a growl.

She shakes her head. "There was nothing to switch back to. He was like the person I first met but worse. He began a killing spree along the west coast, while your coven were hunting the Heretics and searching for me. I know Damon was an asshole but this was something else. Something bad happened to him but even now I don't know what it was. He wanted Elena, that's all he would tell me but I thought if he found her she wouldn't survive. So I stopped looking and told him to leave. I started to think he was working with the Gemini and he used that against me. He took Ames and contacted your father," Bonnie inhales at the memory, the panic that had griped her and how all notion of friendship had vanished.

"You killed him?"

"…I left him to die, which I guess amounts to the same thing. I captured him, tied him up but he wouldn't tell me where she was. I – I didn't have anyone to turn to then but the Heretics. I had killed Malcolm but Beau and Nora, they helped me. They found her and we used our magic to stop him. Damon killed a lot of them too."

"Which I'm sure my coven was grateful for," Kai adds and Bonnie nods.

"Very. I started to suspect that they had something to with Damon's behaviour, he killed a lot of Heretics in his rampage...Anyway, we captured him and melted his daylight ring. They left him tied to a stake as the sun came up as revenge."

"That's how we like to kill them, if they mess with us," Kai whispers and Bonnie remembers when he once recounted how he and his father watched two vampires burning alive in their back yard. He had called it a bonding experience.

"I – I'm sorry that he died like that, for whatever it's worth but he threatened me, he was dangerous and I had to make a choice."

"The right one. Where does Stefan fit into this?"

Bonnie lifts her brows. "He was in New Orleans. He tried to reach out to Damon but couldn't. The Originals disappeared at the same time as Elena so Stefan was investigating that coincidence. The last time I saw Elena was in Oregon, she visited me and the twins. She seemed okay when she left but she never made it home. I never saw her again," Bonnie says and Kai nods, looking thoughtful.

"That's why Damon targeted you…" he hums and then looks at her with a smirk. "I know she was your friend and she totally dug my sense of humour but her life was a web of drama and doppelgangers. Think how crazier your life would be right now if she was still here and in need of help? So for that I'm thankful you only see her on milk cartons, our life is dramatic enough without you scarifying yourself again."

Bonnie stares at the dimming screen of his phone, at the dog but not seeing it. Kai kisses the side of her head, telling her that she had done the right thing leaving the mystery of Elena Gilbert alone and Bonnie nods. Her children are her priority and she would sacrifice others a thousand times over for them and for her place beside them. It is a strange hollow feeling, where once she would have felt a deep responsibility and guilt but now it is empty. She had risked her life and soul repeatedly for others and it had filled her up in a way, the odd power of martyrdom. It fed that starved, lonely place in her but in reality it left her with nothing. Martyrs are only meant to die once, anymore and it becomes nothing more than a parlour trick, taken for granted and in time loses power over people. They had lost the wonder in her magic, in _her_ and in time so had she. She lost faith in those friendships a long time ago and you can't be a martyr without a cause, otherwise it's just suicide.

Kai brushes his lips against cheek. "What are you thinking?"

"That I probably should have gone to see a therapist when I was a teenager," she admits and he laughs.

"Oh I loved fucking with them. I think I gave one of them a nervous breakdown? Or at least a helpful push. I didn't wanna be there, I felt there was nothing wrong with me…though, to be fair, I actually learned a lot," he admits and Bonnie frowns, stomach squeezing at his light tone.

"Learned what?"

"How to be human."

Bonnie looks away, breath hitching. They are damaged in their own ways but she can say with assurance they are not who they were…but underneath her heart is a tiny hollow place that needs a sacrifice to feel whole and he still grins in accomplished at the minds he has toyed with. They are different but not wiped clean.

Bonnie tries to shake these peculiar thoughts and swipes the screen of his phone. Her eyes widen and she sits up. "Miss Cuddles! That's my cat!"

" _Mr_ Cuddles," Kai corrects and laughs at the photograph of the black cat lying in Lia's lap. "That big bastard has already eaten my dog, I know it."

Bonnie inhales in wonder and feels a pang of sadness. "Did you call me before Halloween?"

"Yes but I never heard back. Guess you couldn't."

They smile at each other softly until the cat and dog are forgotten and the phone slips from her hand as she leans over to press her lips to his. All thought of lost friends and sacrifices fade away as they kiss and sink back down onto the bed.

* * *

In another bed the blue light of two phones illuminates a dark room as the twins hold a late night running commentary on the snapshots of their lives over the last nine years.

"Our cousins, Ellie and Lucy. They don't have any magic. They're my best friends," Lia explains as Ames looks at the picture of the identical twins with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She smiles, remembering them from the theme park and looks at another picture.

"That's their mom and dad?"

"Yeah, Uncle Ric and Aunt Jo. She's dad's twin."

"What? She's like fifty," Ames frowns, looking at the picture of their beautiful aunt. She has a resemblance to their father, clearly his older sister not his twin.

"I know it's weird. Dad was born in 1972 but he looks mom's age."

"Uh how? And if he's the leader that means he won the merge and his twin died. Jo is alive."

Lia hesitates, licking her lips and Ames stares at her. When she speaks she keeps her voice low, as if scared of being overheard. "I don't know much and people won't tell me if I ask. Twins are meant to merge in the ritual to become leader, you're right but dad didn't merge with aunt Jo. He merged with him," Lia says and shows Ames a picture of a smiling blonde man Ames has never seen.

"Who's that?"

"Luke. He was aunt Liv's twin. He's dead now."

"…Because he died merging with our dad? That doesn't make sense. I asked mom about the Gemini and she said that they have to merge with their twins. That's pretty much all she would tell me actually," Ames adds disparagingly.

Lia nods. "They won't tell me much either. I asked about dad, the merge and everything but nothing. Sometimes I get the feeling they wanna say more but they won't. Or can't."

Ames frowns, looking at the picture of Luke and Liv, running her finger over Luke's face. "He looks nice."

Lia nods. "Aunt Liv says he was a good person. She misses him a lot."

"Dad killed him," Ames says quietly but Lia shakes her head.

"It doesn't work like that. They do a spell and then it's up to the powers that be after that. Dad says it's like your soul is weighed or something and the stronger one with magic wakes up."

"But they weren't twins," Ames says with exasperation and though she is frustrated a glimmer of hope begins to shine. "You can win the merge without killing your twin...Dad did it with Luke. Siblings but not the right twin…"

Lia stills, mouth open as she looks at Ames before she breaks into a laugh. "You thinking we need a backup pair of twins? Bloodthirsty. Shall we ask mom if she's feeling broody?"

"No!" Ames hits her sister's thigh over the cover with the phone. "I'm just saying there was a way around it."

They nod and fall into a thoughtful silence as they settle on a picture of Kai and Lia at a baseball game. Ames narrows her eyes. "Did he explain _why_ he looks younger?"

Lia shrugs. "Not really, only that witches have ways around it but I guessed, especially when we got here."

Ames looks at her in question and Lia rolls her eyes. She waves her phone around the room. "He stayed in one of these places. He told us you don't age here."

"Oh why didn't I think of that?! That's smart Lia."

"I know," she brags and they giggle before growing serious. "He looks almost twenty years younger than aunt Jo. _Twenty years_."

"You think he was in another dimension for two decades? No way. He'd tell you."

Lia gives a sad, weak smile before it falls. "You'd think. Sometimes he looks like he wants to tell me something, like he's bursting with it but then he stops himself. He's…weird at those times, distant."

"What do you think is wrong?" Ames asks gently, taking Lia's hand.

"I don't know but we're gonna find out. We're together now and there shouldn't be any secrets."

They nod in determination and continue looking at Ames' phone. She asks if their father has any other siblings but Lia shakes her head. It had ever only been the two sets of twins, as far as she knows. Their solemn faces break into a grin as they come across another picture. It shows a man with green eyes smiling into the camera, his arm around Ames. Lia's eyes fill with recognition.

"Uncle Jaime! Oh man I haven't seen him in so long. Or granny," she adds sadly.

"He's getting married soon. I was gonna be a bridesmaid."

"When is he getting married?"

"Next year. June, I think. It's November in the real world right?"

Lia nods. "Well, now we know when the curse has to be broken by," Lia quips and sighs. "Seven months."

They smile, thinking of the possibilities that can occur during seven months on a magical island and when they fall asleep they share dreams of weddings, witches and newborn babies…


	22. Chapter 22

Sometimes the girls forget that they are in another dimension, that the island is effectively in a glass dome, sealed shut and safe from the outside world. Each day is different, the reset of time still weeks away but Kai feels it's approach, an inner countdown. A week passes, the island becoming warm as it glides into June while the real world feels the first grip of winter.

He watches Bonnie and Lia searching over the sand for shells and stones, collecting them in a bag that Bonnie carries. He finds it hard to keep his hands off her and has to stop himself and behave when they're meant to be teaching the girls about the responsibilities of using magic. He is, frankly, terrible at this but he sounds convincing so far…

Bonnie reaches down for a smooth white stone, objects they will use to perfect levitation skills and target practise. Kai flicks his fingers from his high position in the treeline. The stone rolls away and stops. Bonnie frowns and reaches for it again and the stone rolls to the side and she freezes, eyes narrowing. Kai grins, making the stone roll in circles around her feet.

"Stop messing around! You're meant to be helping Ames," she yells, not bothering to turn around and accuse him. Kai chuckles and with another flick the stone flies into the bag she carries. Giving her bent over body another lingering look of appreciation he turns and heads back into the trees.

They often take turns teaching the girls what they know, each with their own unique specialties and skills, before they have a joint class where the twins demonstrate their knowledge. Teaching one on one also gives them a chance to get to know the child they had been separated from for nine years…

"Amelia?"

"…Over here," her voice carries faintly over the sound of the sea and Kai finds her standing by the cliff edge. They had found clothes, both modern and old, in the large wardrobe room and now have an eclectic range to choose from. He stuffs his hands in his jeans pockets as he gets to her side. Her long, baggy black dress flutters in the breeze, her equally long hair trailing over her face. She has gone for a gothic theme for the past week and it suits her.

"I thought I saw someone."

"What?" Kai blinks, looking at the beach below. Towards the house he sees Bonnie and Lia below, floating stones and shells in detailed shapes and patterns like jugglers. The stretch of beach stretches away for a mile before meeting the cliff face. There is no one else below.

"A man."

"You probably saw me. No one else can get in, not unless they have my grandmother's blood and even then I'd know the moment someone stepped foot in here," he assures her and she nods, not looking perturbed but Kai feels a prickle of unease. The only time he would not feel a new presence would be when he sleeps but on awakening he should detect any new lifeforms.

"Then who's that?" Ames smiles, pointing behind them and Kai turns. Someone stands an inch away from his face.

"What the hell!" Kai stumbles back and the man, who is clearly Elvis Presley circa 1974, winks and vanishes.

"Ha! You said to practise my illusions. You didn't say what."

"Oh my god I almost died," Kai gasps, rubbing his chest and laughs. "That's was impressive, I didn't even guess you were lying."

"What about Elvis? Could you tell he was fake?" she asks and with another wave of her hand the dead musician is back. Kai squints, looking at the jumpsuit wearing, rhinestone glittering legend and smirks.

"He's not breathing."

"They gotta breathe?"

"If you wanna convince people, yeah. Even giving them a heartbeat adds to the illusion," he comes to her side, smiling. "Can he sing?"

"Uh…" she trails off, looking lost, and Kai laughs.

"Your great grandmother is _obsessed_ with The King. She'd be super impressed if you showed her this, even if you don't know the songs."

Ames smiles and the illusion fades. "It's weird, I have to keep reminding myself that I have this other family. I mean my granny, you know back home, she looks the same age as _your_ granny."

Kai laughs as they begin walking back towards the house. Bonnie and Lia are already in the conservatory, inspecting their loot and targets. Kai waves his hand around as they clear the trees and step onto the lush lawn, the sky above starting to cloud over.

"She stayed here for a long time, that's why doesn't look her age."

"Like you?" Ames adds and Kai winces, He fell right into that one. For the past week the girls have been subtly and not so subtly asking him questions about his age. Lia had told her what year he had been born and it has understandably caused confusion. Kai swings between wanting to give an omitted truth and lie through his teeth.

"…Yeah. You know witches can use magic to look a lot younger than they are?"

"So you're really aunt Jo's age? Mid fifties?"

"Technically."

"So if you stopped taking the potion or whatever would you start aging like Dorian Gray?"

"No."

"So you were _technically_ like forty when you started dating mom?"

"Oh my god…" Kai mutters as they reach the open doors to the conservatory. He looks at Bonnie for rescue but she cocks her head quizzically, eyebrows raised as Lia comes forward.

"What?"

"So you don't have to do a spell to stay young?" Ames asks and Lia narrows her eyes, listening attentively.

"No spells. I won't wake up and look old, I'm aging normally now. I just look good for my age," he finishes with a smirk, clearly wanting to drop it.

"Cause you stayed here, right?" Lia susses and Kai opens his mouth and then shuts it. His jaw clenches, nostrils flaring and Bonnie and Lia see the warning signs of a man losing his patience but Ames does not know the signs. She keeps pushing as he moves into the kitchen, looking for food.

"Come on. You might as well tell us because I'm just gonna bug you until you do," she sing songs as Kai shakes his head, back to them as he opens a drawer. Ames frowns. "I don't know why you won't just say? What's so bad about staying in a place like this forever?"

Kai slams the cutlery draw shut and Ames jumps. He does not turn, his shoulders hunched and she hears him breathing heavily. When he speaks his voice is low and rough. "Drop it. Now."

Amelia blinks, taking a step back. Hurt waves over her face and with an inhale she turns and walks away. Bonnie slumps, calling after her but she does not stop. Lia frowns at Kai.

"What's wrong with you? She's trying to get to know you. Though I did tell her that you'd lie, like you have to me about your weird age thing and other stuff," she adds, waving at his body and Kai turns. Any anger he felt is gone and he looks at his daughter with guilt.

"I'm sorry, I just can't tell you. It's not because I don't trust you but…"

"What?" Lia asks and Kai looks up. He knows Ames is listening, hiding. He looks at Bonnie who comes to his side, looking into his desperate face and she answers for him.

"If you were in a place like this forever, if you thought there was no way out, would that be a good thing? Even if you never aged?"

"…No," Lia answers, starting to frown. "Someone trapped you? Who?" she asks Kai quietly and he looks like he wants to answer but he shakes his head and walks back out into the garden. Bonnie goes to an upset Lia, putting her arms around her and then beckons to Ames as she pokes her head around the door.

"Listen I know you're curious and you wanna know everything about him, about us, but somethings…somethings are just private."

"We're old enough to know," Lia urges as Ames hugs her mother but stares at Kai as he stands in the garden, his back to them and hands in his pockets.

"That's not what I'm saying. Yes we should be truthful with each other but sometimes if that truth is painful then it's hard to share. You shouldn't push someone to tell you just because you think you deserve to know," Bonnie says gently, trying to reason with them but her voice shakes. Ames cocks her head.

"You don't think we deserve to know?"

Bonnie licks her lips, swallowing. "Deserve isn't the right word. I – I don't know, this is difficult. If he wants to tell you he will, if and when he feels ready. It's not mine to share."

Lia snorts, unconvinced but Ames stares at his tense back, nodding. She moves slowly towards him, leaving Bonnie and Lia in the kitchen. Amelia touches his arm and he stiffens.

"I wanna show you something."

"…Young, hot Elvis?"

Ames laughs, shaking her head. "Gross. Come on. I – I haven't shown anyone this, not even Lia."

She begins walking towards the vegetable patch at the back of the house. Kai looks behind before following, his hands in his pockets. She leads him through the patch, which is ringed with a white fence and then onto another lawn. They pass the greenhouse, which looks minuscule in comparison to it's actual size, and stop by a massive tree. Vervain grows around it's base, a natural occurrence.

"The White Oak?"

Ames nods, getting on her knees and pushes the purple plants aside to reveal a stone marker. Kai peers closer and then gets on his knees. The stone has an opalescent sheen that flashes in the dimming sunlight. Opal.

"What is it?"

"A grave stone," she explains quietly and Kai grows still, the smile fading. Ames stares at the stone, not at him. "It's Gemima's. I know it's weird but I couldn't stop thinking about it. She's dead somewhere, I am and I thought if I - if I recognised it then I'd feel better."

Kai blinks and inhales deeply. "…Do you?"

Ames shrugs. "I only did it yesterday. Guess I need more time…"

Kai frowns heavily at the marker, looking intensely guilty. "Do you blame me?"

"No, of course not. You didn't know. I'll be okay in the future, I'm not gonna do what she did…but it happened. In some place and time I grew up to become her, she was real and she died. I should forget but I can't."

"…I could make you forget if you want?" he whispers and she looks at him sharply.

"What?"

"If this is too much I could do a spell, make you forget?"

Amelia stares at the conflict, confusion and hurt on his face and shakes her head. "Is that what you want to do? Forget about me?"

"No!" he reaches for her and then hesitates and Ames feels her heart break. Kai shakes his head, looking down, his hands clenched. "I'm sorry, I – uh shouldn't have said that. I won't forget, ever. I don't really know what I'm saying. I'm not – I'm not really good with emotions, mine or other people's. It's kinda messed up," he confesses with a tired laugh but his eyes are haunted. Scared.

Ames looks at him thoughtfully, at the struggle on his face and reaches out to take his hand. "I don't want anyone to forget because then who will know she's gone? Who will care? If I'm a ghost out there somewhere I'd be _pissed_ if people just forgot about me! I'd probably haunt myself!" she confesses and he laughs weakly. Ames squeezes his fingers. "I'm sorry for annoying you, about the whole age thing. If it's something that hurts then I understand not wanting to share it."

He looks aside and then after another deep inhale he looks back at her with a small smile. "You didn't annoy me and this isn't weird. I think it's probably much healthier than trying to forget…Basically never listen to my stupid advice, Lia doesn't," he adds and she laughs. Kai sighs, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I do care and nothing will change that, I promise…I'm sorry for earlier, if I scared you. Sometimes I do things I don't mean to or without thinking."

Ames nods, thinking back to the theme park and how angry and uncontrolled he had been around her. He had been scared and confused and so had she. Unlike her mother he does not internalise his emotions or appears to know how to. With this thought Amelia gazes at her estranged father, wanting to know what is going on his strange head, how it works but she relents. Her mother is right, somethings are just private.

"Come on, let's get something to eat," Kai says and pulls her up and places his arm over her shoulders as they move away from the oak tree.

"…You don't think I'm a ghost do you?" Ames asks suddenly. "I just creeped myself out."

Kai snorts. "No. There's no Other Side anymore, no spirits. They all move on."

"Where?"

Kai shrugs. "Mystic Falls? That's pretty dead right?"

Ames pushes him away and he laughs as they reach the house. The smell of fried fish, the sound of it fizzing in the pan, makes them run for the kitchen, seeing who will get there first. Ames disappears and reappears sitting at the kitchen table.

"I win."

"Cheat….but good aim," he concedes and Amelia smiles in accomplishment. Bonnie looks between them as Lia sets the salad down.

"You okay?"

"Yup," Ames grins, sipping on juice as Kai moves to the agar. Bonnie moves over to him as he seasons the fish, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hungry?"

"Always."

* * *

The full moon shines over the night sea, casting an electric blue light between the shadows. Bonnie sits on a deckchair on the widow's walk around the roof, a blanket over her and Kai warm against her back. She keeps a hot water bottle pressed to her stomach, cramps easing. One thing that was good about being in worlds that repeatedly looped the same day was that she skipped her menstrual cycle and all the pain that comes with it. She doubled over that afternoon, right on cue. In the real world it is now November 10th.

"Better?" Kai asks and she nods. He had made a potion for her, using ingredients that she had listed and now the pain begins to fade.

"Better. You know after I gave birth and my cycle was back to normal I had the most intense cramps ever? It was like my uterus was making up for lost time," she laughs but the pain had been terrible, worse than giving birth and that had almost killed her. "…You don't mind this talk do you? Some men do."

"Nope, I grew up with sisters as well, so…Lucy once transferred the pain she felt to Joey after he told her to suck it up. He puked and fainted. I laughed for _years_ ," he sighs at the memory. "They were all synced and that week was _crazy_ tense. You know how in some places women have to leave the house and, like, sleep in a tent? That was my dad."

Bonnie laughs. "I'm not surprised. No tent for you?"

Kai shakes his head, his fingers laced through hers under the blanket. The furry hot water bottle keeps their hands warm. "Lia had visions before hers started last year. She thought she was gonna bleed to death on the school bus. She called me first, not Liv or Jo, so I went to collect her from school."

"Aww. Let me guess: April 2nd?"

Kai blinks. "Yeah, early April. Ames too?"

"Yep. She cried, I cried, granny cried, Samson the pug cried," Bonnie reminisces and Kai laughs. They fall silent, watching the moon arcing across the sky. Bonnie leans her head back as Kai kisses her neck. Bonnie smirks. "Will _you_ cry of I say no sex until it's over?"

Kai says nothing until a little sob breaks the silence and she laughs, elbowing his chest gently. He shakes his head, grinning. "It's up to you but just so we're clear I'll never say no to you, whatever state you're in. Nothing is a turn off. Seriously, even Carrie at the prom levels of blood, it's all good to me."

"That's gross."

"The Shining when the elevator doors open."

"Shush!" she turns and places her finger against his lips. He grins and play bites at her hand as she lies on top of him, palm over his mouth. He pulls her hand away and they kiss. The happiness that she has felt over the last week has felt dreamlike but slowly the reality of the situation is starting to sink in. She is happier than she has been in years and this time there is no hesitation or doubts about their relationship. But amidst all that certainty comes a harsh truth: they have to lie. The girls are curious about Kai, about how they first met and how they fell in love. All perfectly normal questions that have no normal answers. Bonnie had promised never to tell her children the truth of Kai's past but never really imagined the time for those talks would come. Now they are happening every day and neither knows how to proceed without feeling guilty.

"They stopped asking about your age?" Bonnie asks when they stop kissing.

"Ames is cool with it but Lia is still mad at me. If I tell them that I was trapped in a Prison World they'll want to know why and I can't lead them down that path. I don't want to lie but I can't tell them the truth. I've already cast a spell on every member of my coven not to tell Lia the truth but she knows something is up."

Bonnie nods, sighing. "I don't want to lie to them but the truth…it would destroy them," she utters softly and Kai looks aside, clenching his jaw. Bonnie leans closer, brushing her fingers over his cheek. "If – if they found out what would you do?" she whispers and when he looks at her his gaze is harsh. He struggles to speak, the answer not something she will like.

"Make them forget and torture whoever told them," he says in a rush and she frowns, leaning off him to kneel between his legs. "What else can I do? I know it's not right but none of this is. _I'm_ not right, I'm trying but what I did…it'll never go away."

"I know…" her voice drifts away and they sit in a heavy silence, Kai looking down at his lap. He had been punished for his crimes and in some cases forgiven but it does not absolve him of them. They happened and now it is a locked dark room that their children could one day open. Bonnie feels a similar fear as they ask about their power. They had not used expression since they were four years old and now they have a strange and wild magic running through their bodies when they touch. The question of what it is occurs almost as frequently as their queries about Kai.

"Neither of us can make them forget, I won't allow it…so we have to be really careful about what we say. We have to be open with each other okay? What we tell them has to be agreed upon. They – they want to know about Expression and that's not something I can tell them. I was tricked, brainwashed into accessing it. I lured witches to have them killed and they stayed dead. I – I thought I could reverse it but I was deluded. I lost control, it overwhelmed me," Bonnie confesses and Kai nods, sitting up to gaze at her. He smiles softly.

"Maybe them being twins keeps that power in balance?"

"Maybe…but it scares me. I thought I was invincible, that I could control it but I died. Silas…" she breathes out the name with a shudder. She has not mentioned him aloud for a long time, as if saying his name will bring him forth. "I thought the prison world changed me but that happened long before I met you. I just don't want them to go through what I did. I don't want them to risk their lives because of magic."

"They won't. Listen I know you've got a complex about your friends," he starts and Bonnie smirks, arching her eyebrow but Kai pushes on. "But I raised Lia to judge what benefit she gets out of using her magic. Like you said, we're witches, we're meant to serve nature. Can't do that if you're always risking your neck for some cause."

"I tell that to Ames too! I don't want her to make my mistakes," Bonnie says hotly and Kai pats the air.

"I know, I know. I'm not judging you."

"Yes you are."

"Okay maybe a little but I never had friends so I can't envisage risking my life for others just because I _liked_ them," he pulls a face and Bonnie cannot help but laugh.

"Even now?"

"My friends are of the anonymous, minion like variety. All twenty thousand of them."

"Popular huh?"

"I am their blog god," Kai proclaims and she laughs quietly, shaking her head as he leans forward to capture her lips quickly. He cups her face, thumb brushing her skin. "I don't die for less than fifty thousand followers."

"What about me?" she asks coyly.

"Ah, you were and are the exception."

"Why's that? I'm not even a follower."

"Because I love you," he says softly and the coy smile on her face fades. "I loved you then, though I didn't know it. I blamed risking my life for you on four things: Luke's revengeful empathy, foe merge screwing with my sanity, getting impaled back to front _and_ cupcakes."

Bonnie laughs. "Cupcakes? _My_ birthday cupcakes?"

"Well you weren't gonna eat them. Your _friends_ threw you a birthday party and didn't invite you. That's just sums them up perfectly."

Bonnie purses her mouth but something sharp twists inside. He is right of course, her friends did not try as hard as she had hoped and dreamed. When a sociopath risked not only his life but thousands linked to him for a woman he barely knew it was something of a wakeup call. She has moved past that anger but it still hurts.

She sighs and cups his face. "When did you realise you loved me?"

"…For sure? When you were stabbing me," he says, not what she had been expecting to hear. "I could have stopped you but I didn't…I mean I knew something was different when I saw you at the rave. I thought if I apologised I'd sleep better at night but that didn't work. I couldn't stop thinking about you, I wanted to see you _even_ if it meant you melted my face off. In the snow…" he peters off, lost in memory. "Covens and Portland and everything I had waited for, killed for, meant nothing if I couldn't see you again. I just wanted a chance and I knew then it wasn't about appeasing guilt. I couldn't see a life without you in it. That's why I never left you in 1903 and I never will again."

Bonnie inhales, her throat tight with emotion and her eyes prickle with tears. Too choked to speak she presses her mouth to his in a hard, passionate kiss that she hopes conveys what she cannot articulate. They kiss and hold each other as the stars fade, until she is lying against his back again, a bubble of magic keeping them warm. They had wanted to watch the sunrise.

As the horizon begins to lighten she sleepily trails her fingertip over his palm, thinking back to that winter wood. "You told me I had nice palms. That was so weird Kai. Did you just blurt that out or was it a line you agonised over?"

"For hours," he says and she laughs. "I was actually going to follow it up but your look effectively castrated me. I was too embarrassed to carry on."

Bonnie shakes her head, grinning. "What were you going to say before I cut your balls off?"

"That I could read your future. That's a skill of mine."

"Oh I see and what would you have told me?" she asks as he lifts her right hand up to his face. He trails his fingertip along her heartline, humming in thought.

"I see a man. Dark hair."

"Tall?"

"Six foot. Grey-blue eyes. Can look darker in certain lighting."

"Specific. Anything else?"

"Great cook. Incredibly funny and an uber powerful witch."

"A witch? That's good, makes things less complicated."

"I know right? Hmm from what I can tell he's also _great_ in bed. Into some kinky shit though, that okay with you?"

"Depends. Will magic be involved?"

"Definitely. He knows a spell where you can share orgasms at the same time," Kai explains, still looking at her raised palm as Bonnie jerks around.

"You're telling me this now?"

"Well I _just_ read it on your palm. Chill out lady. You're gonna pay me after this right?"

"If it comes true yeah…what else?"

Kai pulls her hand closer, eyes squinting. " _Very_ good looking. Wipes the floor with past boyfriends."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah looking back on your heartline…Bonnie you were with some goobers."

She laughs. "I pretty much had one boyfriend."

"Which is insane. You're beautiful."

"My life was so messed up…I mean I was a _ghost_ for part of it. I was with Jeremy, on and off but after 1994 he moved on. I moved on."

"To me."

"Huh? You? Are you a palm reader or is this a cheesy pick up line?" she glares at him and his lips twitch before he gasps in affront.

"Are you questioning my professionalism? I have credentials. I'll have you know I'm _registered_. You know how many clientele would _kill_ to have a reading with me? There's a waiting list."

"Fine, don't get your panties in a twist. So when will I meet this certifiable catch?"

Kai takes another look at her hand before lowering it and stares at her superciliously. She laughs and he narrows his eyes and Bonnie tries to sober up. "Very soon. Close your eyes."

"You better not rob me or something…" she mutters and closes her eyes as the horizon turns pink. Kai takes her hands and for one confusing second she thinks he _is_ going to steal from her as his fingers radiate heat, red light glowing through her closed lids but the pain does not come. Magic pushes gently through her fingers, seeping into her blood to flow around her body, pumping through her heart. Bonnie gasps. He had given her _his_ magic.

"Open your eyes," he whispers as his magic entwines with her own, adding to her strength. She looks at him wonderingly in the soft dawn light.

"I forgot you can give magic back now."

Kai smiles, tilting his head. "I'm better at taking but over the years I've learned to give."

Bonnie smiles and taking his hand she kisses the centre of his palm before brushing her thumb where she pressed her lips. "Want me to read you? There might be the girl of your dreams in your future…"

Kai shakes his head, eyes fixed in hers. "No need, she's already here."

Bonnie ducks her head as a flood of joyous heat engulfs her before Kai pulls her into his arms and kisses her. As the sunrises and they miss it Bonnie gasps into his mouth and groans with pain, pulling back.

"Sorry, cramps."

"You know there's a special ritual that's good for curing cramps?"

"What?"

"It's called _orgasms_."

Bonnie almost laughs but plays along, giving a little fake gasp. "Really? You know how to perform it?"

Kai winces, shaking his hand in a so-so gesture. "It's complicated but I think I can do it. I could teach you?"

Bonnie thinks about it, tapping her lips and then nods. "What do I have to do?"

"Well lie back first of all, that's right against me. Once you're comfortable you gotta place your hand here," he moves her hand between her legs, fingers pressed over hers.

"Okay now what?"

"Gotta say the magic word."

"Which is?"

" _Malachai_. Gotta say that special word otherwise it won't work."

"Oh, okay." Bonnie says, looking back at the sunrise with a smile. She wiggles against him, making Kai grip her hip with his left hand. Bonnie closes her eyes and says the magic word. " _Malachai_ …" she opens one eye. "Nope, nothing."

"Oh, sorry. Gotta do the special finger movement too."

"Show me?" Bonnie urges and his fingers press down on hers, over the fabric of her pants. She tries not to laugh at how ridiculous it is but then he starts rubbing and Bonnie inhales sharply, her own fingers copying his movements. Pressure builds between her legs, sending shock waves through her stomach, making her legs jerk. She bucks against him slowly, riding out waves of pleasure, Kai breathing hard against her cheek as his fingers rub faster and faster over her clit until she begins moaning his name.

"No, what's the word?"

"M – Malachai. Malachai, Malachai, Malachai," Bonnie moans, arching her neck as the word spills from her lips, becoming a strange, primal chant. He groans into her hair, eyes rolling back as if the name gives him power but it is her body that surges with it, a vessel that rocks with a sweet bliss that washes away all pain and leaves her sapped in his arms.

She whispers his full name as she falls asleep, now not a curse but an invocation. Kai stares at the sun, the sound her voice calling out his name still ringing in his ears. It is the first time he has ever enjoyed listening to it and from now on it's all he wants to hear when she's in his arms.

He carries her back into the house as sunlight ripples over the sea, the moon a pale orb.

* * *

The Gemini Archive is part library, part museum; a collection of books and artefacts stretching back centuries and in some rare cases millennia. It is the coven's pride and before Luke Parker lost the merge he had been undertaking a painstaking labour of love to make it more accessible and bring the collection into the 21st century.

"Luke was the last person here. He brought a lot of the modern stuff you see," Kai explains as he leads Bonnie and the twins through the parlour to a set of double doors. Bonnie stops and stares, mouth falling open as she looks upwards. The library is constructed over several levels, ringing the lamp lit reading area below. It is dark and warm, all windows heavily draped.

"Wow…I don't know why I'm surprised at the size after what I've seen so far."

"Where's the restricted section?" Lia asks and Kai gives her a heavy lidded look as they reach a large spiralling staircase at the end of the reading room.

"Gotta be a special member sorry," Kai in an officious voice and Bonnie smirks as the girls argue with Kai about exclusive library memberships before her eyes are drawn to a table. Paper, books and boxes crowd around something that should not exist in 1964.

"Is that a laptop?" Bonnie asks, sitting before the computer. Kai nods.

"Luke was appointed the coven's librarian and he was attempting to digitise the archive. He was working on a catalogue. There's millions of manuscripts here and that's just the paper based stuff."

Bonnie whistles, looking at the floors above. "It would take someone a lifetime."

"Or two. Good thing you don't age here right?" Ames says, leafing through a random grimoire she picks up. Bonnie stands and plucks it from her hands.

"Be careful. Some books don't like to be opened."

"This is a library," Ames accuses and Bonnie nods, eyes narrowing.

"A witch library. The stuff here is half alive and the other half, well who knows…wanna find out?" she grins suddenly, making the girls laugh. Bonnie pushes them towards the staircase and they run, shouting in excitement. As the girls explore the first floor, which is dedicated to the personal history of the Gemini coven, Kai sits at the desk, opening up the laptop as Bonnie sits on the edge of the desk. Kai speaks without looking up.

"The stuff out in the open is safe but the restricted wing is cloaked and warded. No one can get in without my authorisation."

"Even me?"

"Like I said gotta be a member," Kai repeats and Bonnie makes an awing noise, moving to sit on the arm of his swivel chair. She traces her index finger above his nose as he powers up the laptop. Like their phones they have no internet access but they can use programs installed on the machine. She assumes Luke must have had to take it off the island every so often to update.

"I seem to recall something about a section on sex magic? I'm curious but if it's off limits…"

She taps his nose and Kai slams the laptop shut, jumping to his feet. "Congratulation you've won our exclusive all access pass to the archive. The registering process is long but worth it. If you'll follow me?" he takes her hand and pulls her away from the table, Bonnie laughing.

"I'm not technically a Gemini so really I shouldn't even be in here should I?"

"Well as my consort you get a free pass," Kai quips as they climb the spiral staircase and Bonnie stops.

"Consort?" she barks out a laugh but with it comes an old memory. Kai had once taken her to a glamour shielded and very elite hotel for witches. She had overheard guests calling her Kai's consort, as if he had been royalty. It had been her first glimpse into how prestigious some old covens are.

"It's an old term," Kai explains, turning to her on the staircase and taking a step down. "It's uh, it's what they called the person close to the leader."

"…Close?" she leans up, trailing her fingers over his chest. "Like a mistress?"

"Like a queen."

Bonnie's lips curl, caught in his teasing gaze. She presses her hands against his shirt and he leans down but as his lips skim hers softly a noise makes them look up.

"Mom! You gotta see this!" Ames shouts and waves from three floors above. The circular roof depicts a starry night sky, the Gemini constellation. She dashes away and Lia appears, motioning at them.

"It's so beautiful! It's so trippy! Hurry up!" she yells and disappears.

"Ah I know what they've found, I forgot about that room…" Kai says, not explaining and with a frown Bonnie follows him up the staircase until they reach the third level. They pass along a row of bookcases, which has a catalogue pinned to the end of the row but she does not have time to read them. They suddenly clear the bookcases and step into another room, one filled with bright sunshine and Bonnie blinks, eyes used to the comfortable gloom.

"They're charging."

"Huh?" Bonnie looks away from Kai, squinting as her eyes become accustomed to the bright light and when they focus she gasps. Thousands of crystals hang suspended over the centre of the floor, twinkling and flashing in the sunshine. Quartz of all hues, purple amethyst and green agate, moonstone and ruby, diamond and sapphire and a hundred more precious gems catch the sun and paint the entire room in rainbows.

"It's – it's so…" Bonnie breathes, unable to find the words as Kai smiles at her awe struck expression and leads her through the crystals that hang around them. As they brush her head and shoulders a pulse of energy floods her body and she gasps.

"These have been recharging for decades, they're really powerful. You know the 1994 ascendant? Remember the little clear crystal in the middle? Came from here. There's another room like this in the restricted section but for purification."

"Cursed crystals?"

"Amongst other talismans," Kai answers. Bonnie inhales deeply, the magic within her humming at the vibration that plays over her skin. She wants to lie on the floor and soak in the light and colour. Kai grins. "Chakras feeling nice and tingly?"

"I should come here next time I get blocked. It's so…pure."

"If it gets blocked…"

"Where are the girls?" she asks, remembering why they found the crystals in the first place. Kai motions to an archway at the end of the room. A thick black curtain covers the entrance and beyond she can hear the girls talking excitedly. Bonnie looks to the side and finds a small brass plaque on the wall.

"The Mirror Room?"

"Close your eyes," Kai orders softly and she stills, feeling him against her back. Bonnie tilts her head, eyes narrowing before she closes them. Kai places his hands over her eyes and she smirks.

"No peeking?"

"Trust me it's worth it."

He nudges her forward and she parts the curtain as they enter the room. Even with her eyes closed and Kai's hands over them she knows the room is dark, darker than the library below. She hears the girls giggling and Kai's shushing them before he lowers his hands. At first Bonnie sees nothing; the room they are in is pitch black. She would not know Kai was there if she did not hear him breathing at her back.

"I can't see anything."

"Give it a moment," Lia encourages, speaking to Bonnie's right but she cannot see her daughter. Bonnie frowns, looking up and then grows still. She remembers the peace of the sun catchers and how it had travelled through her body and so relaxes, letting her eyes accept the darkness. A bloom of faint colour slowly appears in the dark, rippling outwards until it surrounds a dark figure. Bonnie inhales, moving back a little and the orange radiation intensifies, spreading until it surrounds the perfect outline of her body. It surrounds her like fire, rippling and intense. A mirror spreads over the entire room, from floor to ceiling without a seam or frame.

"My aura?"

"Yes! Isn't it neat?! This is what we see all the time but not this clearly," Ames says to her left and Bonnie turns to respond but all words dry up. Where her own aura is a warm orange with thin veins of gold running through it her daughters' are a pure golden sun, blazing in the dark. Their bodies stand as a dark silhouette while the gold aura constricts and expands with their heartbeats.

"Ichor," Bonnie murmurs and the twins tilt their heads in question but Bonnie does not elaborate, only half aware of what she is saying. As she perceives the reflected auras more clearly their faces become visible, their eyes shining.

"You and dad have the same gold as we do, but only a little," Lia comments, starting to dance and Ames copies her, arms outstretched as they twirl. Their auras ripple and surge, as if wanting to be closer and Bonnie wonders what will happen if they channel each other. The entire room would vanish in their power, including her and Kai. She looks away from the spinning twins, uneasy at the thought and her aura tinges with a sickly grey-green.

"Oh, someone is looking a little off," Kai says and Bonnie looks up. He has been standing directly behind her the whole time but she has not noticed his aura until he moves. As she had seen once before an almost black aura surrounds him, bleeding into the dark but when he speaks and moves it shimmers with opalescence. Her own is a steady and strong light but his flashes faintly like lightening in a storm cloud, not black but a very dark blue.

"Yours is prettier than mine," Bonnie complains and he laughs, moving closer.

"I'm pretty sure you compared it to an oil slick once."

"That was you not taking a compliment."

"Well I was getting used to you making them. Watch this," he whispers and settles his hands on her shoulders. At the contact her aura retracts and then expands, bleeding into his. For a moment she wonders if he is siphoning her but then his gold flecked aura begins to seep into her own until it becomes marbled.

"I can feel you," Bonnie whispers in awe and turns to him, seeing something she missed before. Her fiery halo expands with her emotions but fades away a few metres from her body but as she inspects Kai she sees that his aura is unlike her own or even the twins. The many hues that ripple around him thin out but do not disappear. They continue, hundreds of them that trail through the air like he is drifting in a rainbow web.

"It doesn't stop," she breathes, reaching out to touch the air around his head. The strands appear to fade but only from her perception. The strands attached to his aura are of many different colours and she can guess that each one leads to a separate member of his coven. They are all connected to him, their magic feeding his own.

"Kinda like a spider web," Lia comments as she passes and Bonnie feels her immense power as she and Ames twirl around, heading out of the room. Expression, even when not tapped into, floods their aureole but close to their bodies she sees a thin band of colour, a deep amethyst around Lia and dappled yellow around Ames. "We're gonna go read about auras and what the colors mean. It'll be like homework."

"Except the kind you wanna do," Ames adds. Two golden strands trail from them to Kai, a connection that will only be severed in the event of their deaths. As the girls disappear from the room Bonnie notices a very faint and thin strand detaching from his aura and floating away.

"…Did you feel that member die?"

"…Yes. They were weak so it doesn't hurt as much."

"But it still hurts?" Bonnie moves closer, remember when in the 1903 prison world Kai had collapsed as coven members had been killed in multitudes. He had been bedridden and almost powerless as a result of the onslaught and subsequent loss of magic.

Kai nods as he slides his hands down her arms. Colours swirl, spinning in slow eddies, miniature suns surrounded by night. He stares deeply at her, eyes reflecting her fire as his lips curl. "When they go to sleep we're coming back here."

Bonnie smirks, imagining how the room will shine and pulse and wonders if the glass is breakable. Hands sliding up his chest she stands on her tip toes to kiss him and they keep their eyes open for a moment before closing them, watching their radiance dance in the dark like northern lights.

* * *

"…this type of aura points to a person with a higher spiritual connection, a being who is ascending. Neat."

Ames reads through the book they had found as Lia taps the laptop keys. The library is immense but their uncle Luke began an extensive digital catalogue of the Gemini collection. They had found a lot of material on the laptop but there are still thousands of manuscripts unrecorded.

"I've typed in Expression magic like seventy times, different variations, but it all says restricted," Lia grumbles and Ames looks up from the book. They had been curious about their aura but they are hungry for information about their magic and as their parents seem to become mute at the mention of it they have to try other sources.

"There's nothing?"

"One book, about an ancient witch called…Ketsiyah?" Lia answers, reading the name off the screen phonetically. "First floor, the history section."

They stand, scribbling the reference number down, and then search for the elusive book. The Gemini coven is two thousand years old and their history comprises of journals, testimonies and countless grimoires. However when they come across the thin leather bound book and sit on the ground between book cases they realise that this aisle is not dedicated to the Gemini or the Parker family but to other covens.

"Oh cool! It says that this witch is an ancestor of the Bennett bloodline," Lia says loudly as she reads the introduction. Ames shushes her, reminding her where they are. Lia rolls her eyes but keeps her voice low. "She lived two thousand years ago in Greece."

"Huh. Mom teaches occult at a local college, I think she mentioned the name once or twice. What does it say about Expression?"

Lia shrugs, flicking through the pages until she comes to a diagram. A triangle surrounds two dancing skeletons, while three symbols are arranged around the points of the shape. Ames reads, tracing her finger along the words.

"An Expression triangle…in some schools of magic human sacrifice can be used - " Ames stops reading as the book suddenly flies out of her hands and bursts into flames.

"Oh my god!" Lia and Ames jump to their feet as Bonnie stalks forward, her hand out stretched. Her eyes are wide and unblinking, staring at the book as it smoulders and burns.

"We were reading that!" Ames throws out her hands in outrage as Kai appears behind Bonnie. When he sees the burning book he grins and looks at the twins.

"Wow, you're burning books already? I'm so proud."

"Mom did it! What are you doing? It was the only thing we could find about Expression," Ames says as Lia frowns at Bonnie, who breathes heavily. At the sound of the word Expression Kai's smile falls and he moves forward as the fire begins to fade and the pages restores itself. Within seconds the book is in perfect condition.

"Everything here has an anti-destruction spell over it. Can't burn it, can't rip it apart…" Kai explains softly to Bonnie and then waves his hand as Lia bends down to pick up the book. It flies into his grasp.

"Come on!" Lia yells but Kai shakes his head, smirking but his gaze is intense.

"This is in the wrong place."

"But it mentioned our magic," Ames says, reaching for the book but Bonnie grabs it from Kai and begins walking away. The girls blink in bewilderment before anger clouds Ames' face. "You're just gonna take it and not explain? Why won't you tell us?"

"It said human sacrifice," Lia says softly and Bonnie stops in her tracks. Kai stands between them, not moving or speaking. Ames looks at her sister and nods slowly.

"What does that mean? Is it dark magic?"

"No," Kai says quickly and Bonnie turns. She clutches the book to her chest and stares at her children miserably.

"There's no such thing as dark magic, only the good or bad that you do with power. Some – some people might disagree but…" she trails off, looking agonised.

"But what? When we use it we feel okay, it doesn't feel like dark magic, not that we'd know but still…" Lia shrugs, looking at her twin who nods.

"It's powerful and sometimes it's hard to come back to the real world, to ourselves but – but it's not bad. Is it?" she moves closer to Bonnie who shakes her head, eyes glassy with emotion.

"I – I know you want to understand and I wish I could explain but the truth is I don't know anything about Expression, what it really is or where it comes from, not really. Magic comes from nature or the spirits, our ancestors. Expression is – is something else," she finishes with difficulty and Lia narrows her eyes.

"You're lying…and you're scared. Are you frightened of us?"

"No," Bonnie breathes and drops the book and pulls the twins into her arms. Tears run down her face. "I love you. I – I'm not lying, I can't explain what the magic is, there's no guide book or mentor for this."

"But there _are_ books here, in the restricted section," Ames says and looks at Kai who stands back, hands in his pockets. He looks intensely awkward, his usual chatter muted but clearly wanting to say something. He presses his lips together. Ames sighs. "We just want to understand, we won't look if we're not allowed but _you_ can look dad, you can get those books. Will you help us?"

Kai looks at their desperately hopeful faces and then at the back of Bonnie's head. He winces, jaw clenching. "…Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing Bon?"

"No," Bonnie pulls back, turning to him. "Nothing good will come out of this."

Kai shrugs, head tilting and speaks softly. "It's not a big deal. Look I know you're worried but you said it yourself it's not dark magic, it's just unknown. We have to tell them something."

Bonnie's eyes blaze. "Not a big deal? Are you serious? After everything we talked about? Or is _that_ not a big deal either? You wanna share that?" Bonnie says quietly and Kai's eyes widen, looking shocked before he frowns, gaze turning into a glare.

"What you're worried about compared to _that_ is a huge fucking difference and you know it," he retorts angrily and the twins look between their suddenly hostile parents in confusion.

"What's going on? Is everyone losing their minds? We just wanna learn about our magic so we don't do anything stupid with it. I don't care if it involved sacrifices in the distant past or whatever, what does that have to do with us? We were born with it," Lia shrugs, exasperated.

"Right? I don't remember sacrificing virgins as a fetus…unless there's something you wanna tell us mom?" Ames asks, lips curling as she tries to lighten the tension but it has the opposite effect. Bonnie inhales, blinking and then bends down to pick up the book again. Lia snatches it, pulling and for a few seconds mother and daughter struggle over the book before it vanishes from their hands with a snap of Kai's fingers. Bonnie stumbles back into his chest as Lia falls against Ames. Kai grips Bonnie's arms.

"Timeout!"

"Get off me," Bonnie growls and tugs herself away from him. Lia and Ames glare at their mother, shaking their heads and then turn on their heels.

"Whatever."

"Wait, I can explain," Bonnie steps forward, hand out and the twins pause, back to them but as Bonnie struggles to speak, the truth lodged in her throat, their shoulders slump and carry on walking away. Once out of earshot Bonnie turns on Kai, teeth bared. "Why did you say anything?!" she hisses.

"Because you wouldn't! Bonnie you're being _way_ too paranoid about this," he says and she scoffs and walks away from him.

"I just got them back, you think I want to push them away like this? I don't want them to know what I did, I don't want them to think differently about me. I thought you'd understand that."

Kai grabs her arm and pulls her around. "I _do_ understand but the difference between your secret and mine is that yours is forgivable. You had no choice…I did," a tense silence falls following his words but as it lingers the tension in her body lessens, her stress deflating. Kai sighs. "They're going to find out what Expression is, with or without a library card," he says, making her smile weakly. "Tell them, I promise it'll be okay."

Bonnie gazes at him deeply, lost in the surety of his conviction and finally nods. She shakes her head, looking guilty. "I wouldn't have told them about you. I was just scared."

"I know. Imagine how I feel?" he exhales as Bonnie wraps her arms around him. "If they find out I've lost them forever and you know it...I sometimes wish I could go back in time and shoot myself in the fucking face."

"Kai…" she looks up at him with worry.

"Everything I have now, all these things I don't deserve, can come apart with a word at any moment and it terrifies me. I try to forget, like it was someone else that did those things but it wasn't. So I get it Bon, wanting to bury the past, but I don't think there's any room for your bodies next to mine."

Kai breathes deeply, eyes hollow and Bonnie says nothing. What can she say? Kai is not the man he was but the darkness of his past shadows him at every step, no matter how hard he tries not to look. She had once told him that she did not want her children burdened with his crimes, the truth too devastating but it had been at a time when the idea of them becoming a family had been a dream, now it is a reality.

"We'll be okay," Bonnie whispers and Kai nods, smiling weakly but his eyes are dull as he pulls her back into his arms. They might agree to keep his truth buried deep but what can they do when two powerful witches decide to start digging?

* * *

"…We're gonna visit Kai's grandmother after breakfast," Bonnie proclaims the next morning. The twins, who have been silent and self-isolated since the fight in the library, look up.

"We are?"

"Yes. We need to know what's going on out there…but I wanted to speak to you before we go," Bonnie says and after looking at Kai for reassurance she pulls out the book she had taken from the twins. "I – I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have acted like that but I was scared."

"Of us?" Lia asks and Bonnie shakes her head, leaning closer.

"No, of myself, of my past. This is hard to say, I've been up all night thinking about what to tell you. The truth is I really don't know much about Expression, the limits or possibilities of it…but I do know the reason you have it. It wasn't a fluke of fate or by chance. You both inherited that power."

"Inherited?" Ames asks, looking between Bonnie and Kai. "Does it run in our family?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I had it and I passed it onto you. I don't have access to it anymore, when I conceived you it transferred over. I don't know why but that's how you have it."

They nod, letting the information sink in before Lia cocks her head, smirking weakly. "Kinda sounds like a disease. Who did you get it from?"

Bonnie sits back, breathing in deep through her nose and Kai sits beside her. She stares at him and he nods, encouraging her. She looks back. "This is going to be hard to hear and difficult for me to say, especially because a lot of it I don't remember…" she inhales again and begins. "When I was younger I met a man called Atticus Shane who started teaching me about this rare form of magic called Expression. I was really blocked at the time and giving up hope I'd ever use magic again. I was desperate...and curious. I – I thought he was helping me but in reality he was using me for something bad. By the time I realised it was too late."

"…Human sacrifices?" Ames says shrewdly and Bonnie nods after hesitating. She does not look disgusted, only thoughtful.

"That was part of it, but that happened before I met him. I didn't know at first but Expression could only be accessed through sacrifices. I – I was told that death could be reversed, that I could save people. That – that's all I was trying to do," Bonnie whispers, tears welling up in her eyes. "He tricked me, twisted my mind until I couldn't think straight."

"Atticus Shane?" Lia says, the name bitter on her tongue.

Bonnie shakes her head. "He's dead now. It was someone speaking through him, a witch called – called Silas," Bonnie stops, throat tight. Under the table Kai squeezes her leg and Bonnie grips his hand. She inhales, taking heart from the open and compassionate expression the twins share and carries on. She speaks for over an hour, telling them about Silas and his bid to destroy the other side and pass over. She tells them about her ex-boyfriend Jeremy and her desperate attempt to bring him back from the dead. She tells them of thirteen dead witches and the completion of the triangle. They listen in stunned silence but when she starts to sob, reliving the murder of her father, they break their paralyses and hug her.

"It's okay."

"Oh mommy. I never knew that was how grandpa died. Granny could never talk about it. I understand why now," Ames whispers, rubbing her mother's back. "What happened to that asshole witch?"

Bonnie opens her mouth, wanting to say that Silas is dead, that she let him get sucked into oblivion but that is not right. He is trapped in a prison world, a world that neither she nor Kai have been to in thirteen years. The man could be dead, destroyed in a crumbling dimension but Bonnie has no way of knowing. She looks at Kai over the girl's heads and he picks up on her uncertainty.

"We took care of him and he's never gonna bother your mom again."

They nod, taking heart from this and hold their mother even tighter. When she is ready again Bonnie shares her experiences of using their magic, how it made her feel and the twins sigh with relief to finally talk to someone else who can understand. Kai mostly keeps silent, only divulging that he had siphoned it from Bonnie a few times but as the super powerful leader of their coven he does not need the boost.

Bonnie laughs, the first time that morning. "Leader? Didn't you promise that position to your grandmother? Or is the title meaningless?" Bonnie asks shrewdly, feeling feather light after sharing her deepest secret. As a soft rain falls outside Kai leans forward, eyes squinting.

"This might shock you but…I lied."

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_I always thought Kai would follow his dorky "you have really nice palms" line with something that's just as cheesy but at least makes sense lol._

_Okay so the next chapter will be quite long so I might split it. There will be more about Kai's sickness, the Bennett prophecy and a very awkward family Thanksgiving...after that things will get real. If you're interested after the next chapter tell me because I'm going to put this story on hiatus and go back another bonkai fic. I'll just finish it all in my own time if there's no demand so be prepared for a wait._


	23. Chapter 23

The morning slips past and they stand in a weak patch of sunlight by the gate, the triangular ascendant in Kai's hand. They all wear heavy coats and boots, anticipating the cold of a November day. Bonnie looks at her watch, the time she has not changed since entering the island.

"It's 1:30 there."

"Sunset is at 4:40. Check list: find out what's going on, drain Eloise of her blood, money and ascendant. Grab our things from the car and head back. Anything else?" Kai asks.

"Call granny," Ames says to Bonnie and she nods. What her mother is doing and how she is has been worrying Bonnie. She has also been missing from work for weeks, if they remember...

"I still think we should go get Damon and Mr Cuddles," Lia comments but Kai shakes his head.

"Later, we don't have enough time. Anyway your cat has probably taken over the coven and enslaved the dog."

Lia rolls her eyes as Ames giggles. The clouds overhead part and the ascendant in Kai's hand glints in the light as he pours a few drops of blood on it. Bonnie takes his arm and the girls take the other.

"Stay together, we don't want to be separated if we need to get back," Bonnie instructs and the girls nod, staring at the relic as it expands into a pyramid in the palm of Kai's hand. He inhales and begins the spell, Bonnie joining him and as a bright light suddenly beams down on them they feel their bodies being yanked up by a great force.

"Damn," Kai staggers as the light clears and they stand in a sudden torrential downpour. Freezing wind blows across the sea and they shiver as they get their bearings, all soaked through within a few seconds. Bonnie raises her hands and a shield surrounds them, the wind and rain battering against it but their clothes are wet.

"It's so cold," Ames moans, hands jammed under her armpits as she huddles by Kai's side. The isthmus ahead leads to the mainland, the sea crashing up along the sides of it.

"Come on, hurry," he urges and they begin walking hurriedly away from the gate. Bonnie turns and the island and house are gone, replaced by a choppy sea. They move along the narrow strip of land, the shield that Bonnie sustains shielding them from the weather. When they reach the rental car and climb in they all sigh with relief.

Kai, his hair plastered to his head, reaches for the keys in the ignition and freezes. "Oh come on…The keys are gone."

"What?" Bonnie looks and Kai is right. Swearing under his breath Kai places his hand against the ignition, muttering a spell and the car splutters into life.

"Who took them? Eloise?" Bonnie asks as Kai reverses and begins driving towards his grandmother's house.

"The curse," Lia says from the backseat. "Can't you feel it? I'm surprised the car even started."

"It probably wants us as far away from the island as possible," Ames assumes. Bonnie looks out of the rain lashed window and nods. There is a familiar oppression, similar to how she feels when her magic is blocked but this is not from within. The storm likely started the second they appeared.

"When we crossed over the first time the ascendant didn't come with us. Where is it?" Ames asks as they drive up a hill, the sea obscured by leafless trees.

"It's enchanted to return to Eloise. She's like the gatekeeper but she can't cross over herself anymore," Kai explains as thunder rumbles overhead, the windscreen wipers moving back and forth madly. "When my dad became leader he kicked her off the island, didn't like what she was doing."

"What was she doing?" Bonnie asks and Kai smirks.

"Well first she broke the daily loop over the place and was working on trying to break it completely."

"Well that sounds like a good thing," Lia says and Ames nods.

"Thing was every time she managed to extend the loop she'd forget she'd done it when the reset happened."

"Her brain got reset?" Bonnie grimaces as they reach Eloise's front garden. The drive is short, luckily only ten minutes. As before the house is invisible, only showing an overgrown garden and the sea and sky beyond. "Wait, that won't happen to us will it?"

Kai looks at Bonnie's worried face and shakes his head after a pause. "No, we'll remember at the end of the month. It just seems to happen if you mess with the original spell. She got so bad she forgot about the coven, her family…when she lost the leadership to dad she couldn't affect the island anymore. He kicked her out to save what was left of her mind…Come on."

Bonnie stares at the garden as Kai gets out of the car, the girls following. Joshua Parker, where coven comes before family, seems to have a soft spot for his siphoner mother. Bonnie races along the garden path, shielded from the rain but her clothes are wet and stick to her uncomfortably. As soon as they find out what has happened to their families and get back the better.

" _Phasmatos Oculacs_ ," Kai waves his hand and his grandmother's house appears. The large circus tent that they had last seen at Halloween is gone and in it's place is a rather ordinary house. Two stories high the white walls are thick to withstand the sea and wind, European style shutters over the windows. The garden is neat; the grass clipped and pruned rose bushes grow in four beds and more trail over the doorway, now dormant.

"I hope she's home," Ames says and Bonnie lifts her eyes as Kai knocks loudly, banging his fist. The rain and wind howls, the sea an ever present roar.

"Come on! If she didn't have hexes over every inch of the house I'd break down the door," he grumbles and as he pulls back his fist the door opens but it is not Eloise who greets them.

"Mom?" Bonnie blinks in shock as Abby appears at the door. Her mother grins in relief and pulls a bewildered Bonnie into her arms.

"Thank god."

* * *

"I woke up and I remembered everything. I came to Portland to find out what had happened but the Gemini wouldn't help, said it wasn't my concern," Abby snarls at this, as they sit in Eloise's warm living room. A fire burns in the hearth, reflected in a large plasma TV. Incense burns lightly and Elvis Presley sings from a distant room. _That's All Right Mama…_

"So you didn't forget?" Kai asks as they sit across from each other at a table. His grandmother is absent, resting in bed according to Abby. Bonnie sits close to her mother, the twins crowding around them. Abby smiles repeatedly at her grandchildren, eyes wet, especially when she looks at Lia who she has not seen in nine years.

"None of us did. I don't know if it's broken or grown weak but it's not like before."

Lia shakes her head. "It's not broken but I guess it can only activate if we're still here during sunset or rise."

Kai nods, drying his hair with his scarf. "My coven wouldn't help you? How did you end up here?"

Abby smiles gently. "My mother was really good friends with Eloise Parker. I sought her out after your father turned me away. He forbid her to help, put a spell on her, so we waited."

Bonnie frowns, looking upwards to where the songs are coming from. "Did he make her sick?"

"No she was sick already but if she helps me she'll fall into a coma."

"Son of the year," a faint voice says from above and Kai stands.

"Better go pay my respects."

"I'm not dead yet," his grandmother drones and Kai laughs. He asks the girls to stay below but Bonnie follows, leaving them to talk to Abby. Like every Parker house she has ever been to pictures cover the walls, mostly portraits of family members. As they climb the staircase Bonnie notices gaps between the frames, the wallpaper lighter, but then she catches sight of Kai as a child and smiles.

"Looks like you're not gone completely," she says, tapping the picture of Kai making a cake with his father. Flour covers both of them as they laugh. He looks about nine. Kai gives it a passing glance and then pulls up his sleeve to show Bonnie a very faint mark on his upper arm. She had hardly given it a second look.

"He _accidentally_ burnt me with a hot tin after that. Guess I deserved it."

"No you didn't," Bonnie answers instantly, touching his back but he does not turn as they reach his grandmother's room.

"It was a competition between my siblings to see who could bake the fastest and produce the best cake. Like _The Great British Bake Off_ but with more violence and magic. I dropped Jo's finished cake on the floor and she was devastated. I laughed, the look on her face as she cried and ran out was priceless," he pauses by the door, his lips curled into a smirk but his eyes burn. He shrugs. "She was gonna beat me."

Bonnie blinks, inhaling and says nothing as Kai knocks softly and enters the room. Eloise lies up in bed reading a book, which she lowers as they enter. She peers at them shrewdly, a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. A large framed picture of a young Elvis with Eloise rests on her nightstand. She appears in her twenties and looks utterly besotted.

"You were a mean little shit," Kai's grandmother comments levelly and Kai nods.

"Until I learned to hide it. You and mom taught me how, remember?" he smiles at her but there is no warmth in his gaze. He moves to the window, looking out as Bonnie takes a seat that Eloise motions to.

"I remember everything…I can't handle the ascendant but you can, your father's doing. It's in that top drawer," Eloise says pointing at a desk under the window. Kai pulls out the relic with a sigh, throwing it from one hand to the other before pocketing it. Eloise looks at Bonnie. "So, how do you like the island?"

"It's amazing," Bonnie answers with a smile and is shocked when she gets one in return. "The girls don't want to leave."

"Joshua will be pleased to hear that," Eloise says and Kai moves closer to the bed. He wipes his sleeve his over face, which is still wet from the rain.

"Really? He needs those girls to grow up if he wants them to merge."

"That's true but whether you or Bonnie age is none of his concern," Eloise says and Kai starts to nod, lips pursing in a tight smile.

"He wants me to stay there for good doesn't he?"

Eloise nods. "He has been the leader for decades and you haven't made a move to change that. The last few years you've been content to stay in the shadows."

"Like I don't exist. He'd shut me out without a second thought."

"Can you blame him for having a vendetta?"

"He separated my family. Years lost and I won't ever get them back," Bonnie utters coldly and Eloise cocks her head and then takes off her glasses. She motions around the room with them.

"What do you see?"

Bonnie frowns and then gets to her feet. Pictures of the Parker's line the walls and Bonnie shrugs. "Your family."

"Really? Look closer," Eloise urges and Bonnie does, Kai standing still by the window. He breathes shallowly as she looks at the photographs. Sepia and black and white pictures show couples and groups, Kai's distant ancestors from overseas. A lot of pictures depict Eloise with an identical woman, her twin. They are dressed for war and grinning into the camera in one and dressed for a wedding in another. As the pictures change to colour she sees some familiar faces.

"Joshua," she taps the picture of Kai's father as a very young man standing next to his twin brother, who is also identical. One smiles broadly while the other looks sullen.

"And his twin Elias. He's the handsome one," Eloise says and Kai laughs, now sitting in the chair, knuckles pressed to his mouth.

"Yeah, no prize for guessing which one was your favourite."

"If Elias had won the merge the coven would not be what it is now."

"Well yeah cause I wouldn't have been born," Kai answers and Eloise arcs her eyebrow as Bonnie searches over the pictures.

"Your mother married the wrong twin and they both knew it. Why do you think she was so miserable?"

"Cause she had you for a mother in law? Well that wouldn't have changed if she married uncle Eli."

Bonnie ignores their squabbling and concentrates. Something about the pictures bothers her, as they had in the attic. She comes across a picture of Kai and Jo in Christmas sweaters, a very young Liv and Luke between them. It must have been taken mere months before Kai's rampage. Bonnie leans back, the truth hitting her.

"These only show Kai, Jo, Liv and Luke. Your other siblings are missing."

"Bingo. Now ask Kai why," Eloise says as Bonnie turns. Kai glares at his grandmother, who looks healthier, a tinge of pink in her cheeks, as if feeding off Kai's distress.

"Kai?"

He clenches his jaw before answering. "…It was a condition. If my father wanted to stay in power while I raise Lia then she had to be completely in the dark about – about what happened."

"He removed every trace of Joey, Elliot, Lucille and Eleanor. No pictures, no mementoes, no funeral wreathes. Not a trace of them living or dead but I remember them. Eleanor was ten and beautiful, you remember Kai? We said she'd be a movie star. She wanted to be a beekeeper. You hung her next to Lucille when she tried to stop you draining her magic. That was the first thing we saw when we came in the door."

"Stop it."

"Joey, awkward, shy Joey. You smacked his head against the wall repeatedly. He was still breathing when we found him, we hoped he would live but the damage was done. He didn't deserve to die like that, none of them did."

Kai breathes heavily, his hands clenching and unclenching. "You don't – you don't have to -"

"What? Mention it? I think I should, I think your girlfriend should know their names if you can't even do them that small honour," Eloise spits and then turns back to Bonnie, who is shaking. "Elliot couldn't swim but there was someone at the local club he liked, wanted to impress. He'd come and sit with me, do his homework without the distraction. He was becoming a strong swimmer but not strong enough to stop Kai. We found him last floating in the pool."

"Stop!" Bonnie shouts as every glass in the room cracks and Kai staggers out. Bonnie follows him as he runs into the bathroom but the door slams in her face. She hears him retching and will not answer her when she calls. Feeling ill and her heart hammering she stalks back into Eloise's room but the harsh words on her tongue die. The woman cries, tears covering angry eyes.

"None of us have been able to mention them for years, to protect him and his crimes. Lia knows nothing, we can't mention a thing in front of her because of Kai's spell. It's not right. Those kids are dead and now we have to pretend like they never existed. So I can understand why my son wants Kai to stay on the island until the girls are ready."

Bonnie tries to calm her breathing but her heart races and tears prickle her eyes. "He's not doing it to protect himself. He's doing it for our children."

"He cares, I see the love but this is to save himself more than them. I feel for those girls but it doesn't matter if they're thirteen or eighty, no one is ready for that kind of news but the longer you leave it the worse it will be. Who will they blame for keeping silent? For lying? It's a cowardly, selfish act. He took their lives, the least he can do is remember them."

Bonnie sits weakly in the chair as Eloise finishes, her voice soft but full of ice. She slips her glasses back on after giving her a searching look. Bonnie had once felt overwhelmed listening to Liv describe how Kai had ruined her life, the effects of it still impacting her as an adult. She knows that Kai feels pain acutely now where he could not before but he has not confronted it, instead he has buried the pain and Bonnie has let the ground lie undisturbed.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I really am."

"I know you are and I know he is too…but if he wants to make this right he's got to speak to Joshua. This was like losing his children all over again and it's been going on for too long. It's got to end," she motions at the missing pictures.

"He could have refused leadership, given it to Kai."

"Kai would have done the same either way."

"His father put a curse on us," Bonnie answers harshly, her voice low.

Eloise frowns. "Maybe…but not as revenge. He, like others, place too much stock in prophecies. It happens every generation and some sapless siphoner pays the price. I wish Sheila was alive, she knew more about it then I did. It was Bennett business, she'd say," Eloise smiles fondly and Bonnie feels a stab of pained affection. She could just hear her grandmother saying that.

"Prophecy or not Joshua still did this to us."

"He wasn't alone. The spell is immense, I still don't know where he found it but it was clearly a joint effort. A circle of thirteen did it…and thirteen can drain it," Eloise rubs her book and Bonnie realises it is a grimoire.

"Drain it? You'd need more then thirteen."

"Usually yes but not with your girls and their power. With the siphoners that Kai has wrangled up over the years it should be possible."

"Will these other siphoners agree?"

"Do you think Kai will take no for an answer?"

Bonnie sighs, knowing the answer to that and what her own response would be. She looks back at the bathroom but the door is still closed. She glances down at her watch and her heart almost stops. They have forty minutes left.

"We have to go. We need more of your blood."

"There are phials in the fridge," she waves towards the door and Bonnie notices a picture she had missed on the mantel piece over the fire. It shows Eloise and another woman, both young and laughing while another picture shows them older, clinking glasses of champagne.

"That's my grams!" she gasps and Eloise chuckles.

"We were good friends. Could always count on Sheila to liven up the coven parties. I miss her…She was here with me that night, May 9th. We got the call from Joshua and came to the house but we could do nothing. We formed a circle around Kai in the woods and sent him away. She took Josette back with her, after that night. We used her blood to seal Kai away…"

"Why her blood?"

"She offered," Eloise answers softly and Bonnie's stomach tightens. She knew her grandmother had a hand in creating the prison world and if Kai is right they had been planning on trapping him long before that night.

"You created the ascendant for Kai that night?"

"Of course not. It takes time to create one, months. We had other plans for it but Joshua…he just wanted Kai gone. We couldn't kill him, not when the coven was now on the shoulders of only one pair of twins. He was there if anything happened to Liv and Luke."

"Efficient."

"We also wanted him to suffer," Eloise adds softly and Bonnie holds her breath. Kai once said that his mother had a sliver of ice running up her back but Bonnie sees now it runs through the entire family, spreading from witch to witch. She looks back at the bathroom, griping her wristwatch.

"Kai said he was your favourite."

"He was…and despite everything I just said he could make a worthwhile leader. He just has to face his ghosts first…and maybe you do too."

Bonnie says nothing as the rain lashes outside and lightening flickers. She leaves the woman in bed as she picks up her spellbook and walks out into the corridor. Bonnie stands before the bathroom door and hesitates before knocking, her mind whirling.

"…Kai? We should go, we don't have much time," she hears nothing but then a strange gurgling laugh. She twists the handle but the door remains locked. "Kai? Are you okay?"

"…Not really. Don't freak out okay?" he says weakly and Bonnie is on alert at once, panic a flash flood through her veins. The door clicks and swings open slowly and Bonnie stops breathing. Kai sits on the floor beside the toilet and blood soaks into his sweater. Her first thought is that he has harmed himself, Eloise's words getting to him more than she imagined. Bonnie falls to her knees beside him.

"No, no. Kai, what did you do?"

"…Nothing? I was sick," he says and tries to sit up but groans. Sweat, that she originally took for rainwater, beads his face. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth and he coughs, wiping his sleeve over his mouth. Despite the horrible state he is in relief makes her slump.

"You scared me."

"…And you're not now?" he laughs and then doubles over, vomiting blood onto the tiled floor. He tries to breathe through the pain before speaking. "It hurts. Ugh this sucks. I – I need to get back to the island, like now."

Bonnie nods and slips her arms around him, helping him to sit on the toilet seat. She grabs a towel and wipes his face clean but his sweater is soaked with blood. Kai grimaces, looking down and then waves his hand over his chest. The blood disappears and his pale face now appears almost normal. Sweat beads his forehead as she helps him back into his coat.

"So they don't see."

Bonnie nods, smiling weakly before she helps him to stand. "When did you start feeling ill?" she asks and Kai just gives her a wide eyed puppy look that makes her swear. She wants to shout at him and she will once he's not bleeding out. "I'll get you to the car and grab the girls."

He nods, head lowering as he concentrates on maintaining the illusion. They descend the staircase slowly, Kai leaning heavily on her. She hears the twins and Abby talking in the living room but Bonnie does not stop. They enter the garden and the falling rain, Bonnie forgetting to shield them and with some difficulty she gets him into the passenger seat of the car. Kai smiles at her blearily, arms pressed to his stomach as she cups his face and stares into his unfocused eyes.

"Just try to stay awake."

"I want my sister. I need Jo."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

He nods and she runs back into the house as Kai doubles over. She finds the girls looking at Abby's cell phone, Ames pointing out Stefan Salvatore before Bonnie claps her hands.

"Let's go, time is up!"

"Oh we forgot!" Lia and Ames jump to their feet, racing for the door before they remember and both give Abby quick hard hugs before racing out of the house, shouting goodbyes to Eloise.

Bonnie hugs her mother quickly, throat tight. "I want you to come back with us but I need you to get Jo first and bring her here. Can you do that?"

"I think so. Is everything okay?"

"Something's wrong with Kai. He's sick and I think she can help him. I hope she can…I'll come back out here tomorrow, at noon your time."

"I'll be waiting at the gate," Abby answers and hugs Bonnie again. "Be careful Bonnie."

"I'll try…thank you for being here, for waiting."

Abby pulls back, tilting her head with a sad smile. "Of course. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispers and after another quick hug she runs out of the room and back to the car. She can pick up more blood for the ascendant tomorrow. As expected the girls are crowding around the back of Kai's seat, looking deeply concerned.

"He passed out!"

"Damn it!" Bonnie slams the door closed and reaches for the keys in the ignition, forgetting there are none. "Fuck!"

"Mom just teleport the car to the gate!" Lia urges and Bonnie nods, trying to calm herself. Sunset is still half an hour away but Kai, and the illusion over him, does not look like he has that time.

"What's wrong with him?" Ames asks as Bonnie closes her eyes, muttering a spell. Lia shakes her head, trying not to cry.

"I've seen this happen once, at my birthday party. He didn't tell us he was sick until he started throwing up blood. He still feels guilty for ruining my birthday."

"And mine."

Bonnie tries to block out their voices, ignore the state of Kai as she attempts to move the car but the oppression that had settled on them since leaving the island descends, making the magic within her sluggish to her call. She turns to the twins.

"The curse is stopping my magic. You need to move the car to the gate."

They blink, frozen before they nod and clasp hands. At once the oppression around them lifts as golden light pulses once through the car, making Bonnie squint. Her stomach lifts and then the car shudders as it falls back to the ground. The isthmus stretches out towards the mainland and the gate is directly before the car. It had taken less than a second.

"Good girls!" Bonnie yells and they all jump out of the car into the wind and rain. She races around as Ames opens the door and starts to tug Kai out. They grab him and pull until he lies stretched out on the grass. Bonnie gets on her knees, searching through his pockets until she finds the ascendant.

"Is – is he breathing?" Ames asks, hoping from one foot to the other, her long hair sticking to her face in the rain.

"Just – just grab hold of him," Bonnie instructs as she drops a few shaking droplets of blood onto the relic, which the rain tries to wash away. She offers her arm, Kai's head resting on her lap and looks at the girls. Gold-green eyes peer back at her and they smile gently. Any other time she would flinch but all she feels is relief.

"To give you a boost over," they say and Bonnie nods, not caring if they said they wanted to take over the world. She closes her eyes and begins the chant that will transport them over to the island. At the touch of their hands she gasps, her eyes flying open and a bright white light fills them.

* * *

"…That was scary."

"Very. I actually felt my heart stop."

"Being linked to the leader sucks balls…sorry mom," Lia's quiet abashed voice breaks into Kai's senses and he smiles weakly.

"It _does_ suck," he answers and he hears their little gasps of happiness before he opens his eyes. He is lying in bed, Bonnie and the girls sitting on either side of it.

"You're awake! You've been asleep for hours," Ames says, helping him sit up.

"Need my beauty sleep, can't keep putting that off…are you okay?" he asks, looking between them as they nod. He looks up at Bonnie, who stands. Her jaw is clenched, arms crossed over her chest defensively. His heart sinks but he focuses on the girls, who fuss over him, offering him drinks and whatever he wants to eat.

"He still needs to rest," Bonnie tells the twins after he asks for sweet potato fries and four cheeseburgers. They agree, jumping up but are reluctant to leave. Kai smiles.

"I'm not going anywhere. Literally it seems…" he mutters as Bonnie ushers the twins out of the room, promising to come down and help after she's spoken to Kai. Once gone she closes the door and turns to him as he reaches for a beaker full of water and rinses out his mouth until the taste of blood is gone.

"You should have told me you were feeling ill."

"I didn't think it was a big deal when we left, just a headache. Later…" he hesitates, looking aside as Bonnie comes closer. He puts the cup down. The island is calm, the storm that drenched them in another world now. "When she started talking I – I couldn't tell what I was feeling. If it was, you know, emotions or whatever." He had been lacerated with pain when she spoke and when the first bout of nausea hit him he had pinned it on emotional suffering. When he started throwing up blood he had figured out the reason but a part of him is starting to believe that there was no real distinction.

"How do you feel now?" Bonnie sits beside him and presses the back of her fingers against his cheek and forehead.

"Okay? My insides feel like they've been through a shredder but I think it's stopped. Did I – did I die?" he asks hesitatingly and Bonnie shakes her head, jaw clenched.

"No, we got you over in time."

"I can still die here. I always come back but I can get ill and hurt."

"I remember," she remarks dryly as he sits back. Bonnie lowers her hands to his chest, where he wears a clean t-shirt. She digs her fingers in. "You scared the shit out of me. When I saw you on the ground, the blood…" she whispers, gaze glazing with tears. Kai reaches up to touch her face gently, fingertips brushing her eyelashes, making her blink.

"I'm not suicidal. I mean I was but that was more from boredom than anything else," he smirks but she does not, tears rolling slowly down her face. He cups her cheek, thumb brushing over her skin. He looks aside, lost in thought before he speaks, not really seeing her. "I killed them, my brothers and sisters, to become leader and I was focused. Cold. Didn't need anyone, didn't want my family, didn't want a wife or kids or any of it. I just wanted what was mine, didn't care who I hurt or used to get it. Fuck the rest of them for what they did to me…I didn't count on the merge, these feelings and how much they would change me. How little control I would have over it, no take backs…I think if I had no one, if you all left, these feelings would have killed me and those eighteen years would have been for nothing. How fucking poetic right? Luke would love it."

Bonnie strokes his hair, lost in the hollow glossiness of his eyes as he finally looks at her. "I'm not going to leave."

Kai freezes and then winces. "I just realised how manipulative that sounded. I don't mean it like that. This isn't a guilt trip. I'm just _occasionally_ sick, I don't have a death wish. Okay?"

He stares intensely into her eyes and she manages a brief smile, nodding. He slides his fingers around the back of her head and pulls her to him, their lips touching in a trembling kiss. They kiss for long minutes, slow and intense before she rests her forehead against his, their eyes locked.

"You've got me for life Bonnie Bennett."

"Uh oh."

"No take backs…" he whispers and Bonnie wraps her arms around him, Kai pulling her down against his chest. She had cleaned him up as he slept, which he thanks her for. Ear pressed to his heart she sighs.

"Until we figure out what's making you ill you can't leave."

"It could have been a random attack."

"Maybe but do you want to take the risk? The girls…" she looks up at his frowning face and sighs. "You've been taking the medication, I've seen you, but it didn't stop that from happening."

"I'll stay here if it keeps my family safe, the coven…but I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect. This might be nice and doesn't have that whole Groundhog Day deal but it's still a prison."

"Is it? We have the key to get out. Think of it more like a hospital. Convalescence. My grandfather stayed in one when he got pneumonia. The sea air is good for you."

"You make me sound old."

"You are," Bonnie says and then screams when he digs his fingers into her sides. Laughing they grow still, arms around each other but Bonnie looks up at him, as if wanting to speak but changing her mind. Kai closes his eyes, knowing what she wants to say. He shakes his head.

"Don't. I know you want to talk about it but I can't. I've been around Jo, Liv and my dad for the last nine years and I couldn't do it. Jo tried a few times but she's given up. She knows I'm sorry but if she thinks talking about it will make either of us feel better than she's wrong."

"…I don't think it will make you feel better Kai, it'll hurt but in time the weight will be less. Things that you bury deep don't want to be pulled up and it kicks and screams when you try. That's what you felt earlier."

"And you? When you told the girls about Silas?"

Bonnie swallows and leans up on him carefully. "I felt lighter, it's true but there are some things I still can't talk about, not really."

"Your dad?"

Bonnie nods. "It happened right in front of me and there was _nothing_ I could do to stop it. The pain…I – I couldn't even go to his funeral," she whispers, face screwing up with guilt and Kai holds her tightly, hand rubbing over her back.

"You weren't ready… At least you didn't laugh like I did at my mother's?" he offers helpfully and Bonnie frowns, sitting up. Kai clenches his hands, nails biting into his skin and sits up with her, or tries to. "Sorry, that was a stupid thing to say," he smiles but it falls at her mask like expression. He groans in frustration, wishing he had said nothing. He rubs a hand over his face and they sit in silence.

"…Why did you laugh?" she asks quietly and Kai stills before lowering his hand.

"…Because it was funny? I looked at all the mourners, crying and sad, and I could feel this hysteria building up in my chest. I tried to stop but I couldn't control it. I went back to see a therapist after that because I freaked _myself_ out. She said it was just another way to express what I was feeling, whatever the hell that was."

"Would you laugh now?"

"…No. Maybe. I'm fucked up," he groans again. "I wouldn't find it funny but I'm still processing emotions in weird ways. Not as bad as before but yeah…you're with a weirdo," he laments and Bonnie smirks.

"Oh I know that…you're probably the only person in the world who had their sociopathy reversed. Not fixed I guess but now you've got all these emotions running around. It must be really strange."

"Majorly but watching _Inside Out_ helped," he jokes and Bonnie laughs, pushing against his chest and he catches her wrist. "Careful, I'm still delicate. No rough house, unfortunately."

"Does Lia know?"

"That her dad is semi sane? Yeah but not the specifics. Liv and Jo raised her until a few years ago. They had to tell Lia why she had supervised visits with me before she moved in…"

Bonnie nods, wishing that her daughter never had to bounce back and forth in such a way. Again she feels a flare of anger at the curse that ripped them apart and at the man who likely spear headed the entire operation. Bonnie can sympathise with Joshua's hate for Kai, who not only killed his children but has now wiped every trace of them away like they never existed but there her pity ends.

"We need to decide what we're gonna do about your father."

"Got any ideas?"

"Cement shoes?"

"Oh, savage. He'd just escape."

"Not if he was in a prison world."

Kai shakes his head. "No prison worlds. He'd expect it. We even talked about it a few times, if talk is the right word. He usually relays messages to Jo or Liv who pass them onto me. He hates my guts, is paranoid by default and is prepared for every eventuality."

"Then why didn't his curse leave you isolated? If he hates you that much he could have separated you from Lia and your sisters."

"He tried at first but I uh, I kinda lost it and he panicked. I think that was the first time he believed I had really changed, that things affected me. He loosened his grip, let me help with the coven but he did it for them, not me."

"Coven comes before family."

"No matter what," Kai finishes, reminding Bonnie of their first heart to heart talk as he ate thanksgiving spaghetti in the house that still bore the blood of his victims. Bonnie inhales and gets to her feet, feeling queasy.

"I'll see how the girls are doing with dinner. Don't get up," she instructs and Kai nods, slumping back down against the pillows. She heads for the door, muscles oddly tense.

"Bon?"

"Yeah?"

"If you want to talk about your dad, you can. We could start small, like what his favourite show was. That might be easier."

Bonnie grips the doorframe, her back to him and she nods. "Yeah, I think I could do that…I'd like to know about your siblings too. I know it hurts but you can tell me."

Kai nods, swallowing nervously as Bonnie leaves the door ajar.

* * *

Late next morning she leaves Kai asleep in bed. He had been up most of the night, shivering in a groaning ball. She had uttered a pain lessening spell until her voice had grown hoarse and he had fallen into an exhausted sleep. She leaves a note by the bed, in case he wakes and finds them gone.

"Ready?" she asks the twins as they fasten their coats. She cannot pass over without them, not knowing if the curse will strike or not and she has no celestial event to draw from. The full moon had been the original event but it is now waning. They walk down the path towards the gate, the sun shining down on them. The weather is getting warmer each day and they sweat in their thick coats.

"I hope he feels better soon," Ames say worriedly, looking back at the house. Lia nods.

"This does happen sometimes, he'll stay in bed for a few days. When I was nine, before my birthday, we tried to visit Mystic Falls. He got super sick after that."

Bonnie stills as she flicks the gear on the ascendant, making it expand. "He only got sick after that? Not before?"

"Not that I know of."

"But you never made it to the town right? You had to turn back…" Bonnie stares into the distance as Lia nods and Ames perches on the gate. She calls to her mother and Bonnie blinks, coming back to herself. "Sorry, let's do this. I hope Jo is there and my mom has the ascendant and her things."

"What about granny P? She's sick too."

"She's dying, that's what dad said at dinner last night," Lia answers, fiddling with multiple necklaces she has taken a liking to. Where Ames has favoured a more gothic look her twin is sticking to the grunge attire she favours, reminding Bonnie heavily of Liv Parker and Kai. Bonnie has decided to go age appropriate, after finding some cute 60's dresses, sweaters and slacks.

"She looks young but she's like a 100 and something." Ames start to hum the tune to _Don't Fear The Reaper_ until Bonnie tells her sharply to stop and have some respect. Amelia jumps off the gate, looking abashed and Bonnie can feel her squirming guilt acutely when the twins take her arm as she chants the spell to activate the ascendant.

When the light clears they stumble, the device disappearing from Bonnie's hands. The day before rain had lashed down but now the sky is a spotless blue and the wind, though cold, is gentle. The twins sway by the gate, still holding hands and it takes them a full five minutes to break apart. Bonnie finds it almost as hard to let go, their power lifting her up on a wave and the descent always disorientates. To them it feels like the space between the next inhale.

"Aunt Jo!" Lia cries suddenly and runs from the gate, Ames following behind. Josette smiles widely and throws out her arms to catch Lia in a big embrace.

"Oh I missed you! Are you okay?" she cups Lia's face and then does the same to Ames, who hangs back a little shyly. Jo smiles gently as Abby reaches her side, carrying luggage and someone that Bonnie had not seen the day before.

"Samson!"

The little pug whines and cries, straining on the lead to get to Bonnie and Amelia. They drop to their knees and the dog cries even harder, running around and peeing. Bonnie laughs, getting to her feet as the twins pet the over excited dog.

"I'll bring your pets next if you like?" Jo asks and Lia nods vigorously as Ames carries the pug like a baby, burying her face in his fur. Bonnie moves to her mother who hands Bonnie the ascendant.

"Joshua lifted the spell over it. Seems he's okay with handing it over if it means Kai stays put. Eloise is doing a little better too. She's contacted some siphoners."

Jo nods. "They agree to come but after thanksgiving. So…how is he?"

"Come and see for yourself."

* * *

"Your vitals are normal, reflexes good."

"Magic. Disease."

"Duh, yeah, I know," Jo sighs, rolling her eyes as she stands back from her brother. Kai sits on the kitchen table, the girls watching quietly from the kitchen door before the dog draws their attention and they chase him back to Abby, who sits at the garden table. "You only started feeling crappy once you crossed over? Not before?"

"Yeah. I was feeling fine before that."

"It has to be the curse," Bonnie says and Jo narrows her eyes.

"I can't rule it out but the first time you got sick there was no curse to blame."

"Maybe this is different. You said your mother might have had the same illness right?" Bonnie asks quietly and Jo stiffens before she nods.

"Yeah but she wasn't cursed."

"Are you sure?"

Kai and Jo blink and then look at each other. They shake their heads at the same time.

"Dad would have said something."

"If he knew," Jo replies, tapping her finger on the table. "Cursing _you_ makes perfect sense but who would want to curse mom?"

Kai scowls at Jo before shrugging. "Someone wanting to get back at dad?"

They fall silent again and Bonnie wishes she had not said anything but the thought had been nagging her. "It could be completely unrelated but I thought it was strange. If it's not hereditary then it's something else."

"Whatever it is as long as it doesn't stick me in quarantine for the rest of my life than I don't care. What has dad said?"

"Only that you being here is for the best. Once we got back from California we had a huge argument about what he had done. He was weird, kinda confused but then said it was for the coven."

"Shocker," Kai slips from the table and goes to the fridge. "Always thinking of the greater good. He'll probably start telling the coven I'm infectious if I try to leave," he cracks opens a coke, smiling horribly and Jo nods.

"That would be a dad move but it's not just him. The other covens, you know they've been worried about the seer warnings."

Bonnie frowns, sitting at the table with Kai. The girls chase after Samson, preoccupied and Bonnie is thankful. She does not want them to hear this, not yet. Jo sighs, running her hands through her grey streaked temples.

"What have they been saying?"

"Same as before. That siphoners will spell the end of the Gemini coven. In particular the heretics."

"But they're all dead."

"Not hard to make more," Kai says quietly, looking at the girls in the garden. "If there are heretics then the girls are balanced right? He doesn't want that."

"If they're not balanced then something worse than the heretics will emerge. Nature has to restore balance. But he thinks their threat to the coven together is even worse. That's why he separated them, he and others. It wasn't just the Gemini at fault, it was witches from all covens."

"Including some members of my family. Where did he get the curse from?" Bonnie asks.

Jo shrugs. "He won't tell me but I kinda get the feeling he doesn't know. He just said he had a confidential source."

"What? Someone left it in a basket for him to find on the doorstep?" Kai scoffs and downs the coke in three gulps. "God this stuff tastes so much better in the 1960's."

Kai throws the can into the trash and heads out into the garden, passing through the conservatory. He moves slowly, his back muscles tense with pain but he was too restless to stay in bed. Bonnie looks at Jo as she sighs and takes a seat by the breakfast table. Jo smiles, cocking her head.

"How have you been? We never really got to catch up," Jo says and Bonnie nods. She had left the 1903 prison world pregnant and it had been Jo who had been there for her.

"I'm…adjusting, we all are. It's been a long time you know…" Bonnie smiles weakly, eyes tear rimmed and Jo leans forward and takes her hand.

"You know I had no idea right? I would have stopped my dad if I knew."

"I know."

They watch the sea through the bay windows, hearing the bark of the dog and the sound of the girls laughing with Kai. It feels peaceful but unease sits in the pit of Bonnie's stomach. Kai wants to keep his children safe and he will stay here to do that but a part of her is scared.

"Kai won't be able to leave will he?"

"Not until we know he won't be at risk. If he dies…" she trails off and Bonnie nods in understanding, sighing.

"It will drive him crazy. I mean it's not like 1994 or the other world, the days are different and the house is so interesting…but he will start feeling trapped."

"Well if we break the curse than maybe it'll be different. He's just got to amuse himself in the meantime," she says and then laughs. "I see why you look so uncomfortable. A bored Kai is a dangerous Kai."

"He's not dangerous," Bonnie answers and Jo grows still, her smile fading.

"He's changed, I've had nine years to see that but he's still capable of terrible things. He cared about nothing but now he has you and the twins and I think what he'd do for you would make May 9th look tame in comparison."

Bonnie stares at Jo, hearing her soft words and wants to deny her. She has not seen the violence that Kai was once capable of, only the occasional promise of it towards those he deems as enemies. He would kill to protect them but that is not comparable to May 9th.

"He would not hurt his family, only those threatening us. You're his family too Jo. Is that what you're worried about?"

Jo shrugs, looking out of the window. "I told dad not to come, that Kai would kill him."

"Can you blame him?"

"He's still my father. I won't have one more member of my family killed, no matter the reasoning. I wanted us all to celebrate thanksgiving together but if Kai is gonna ruin it…"

"I won't," Kai answers and they look up to see him standing behind them. He is alone, the girls still outside but Abby walks up to him. Kai smiles thinly at his sister. "Bring him. Bring all of them. I'll cook and you can all spend the night."

"Even dad?"

"Even dad. I'm pissed at him but if he has information about the curse than I need it. I won't touch him before that. But thanks for the vote of confidence sis."

Jo looks unsure, getting to her feet. "I'll be bringing my children so you better mean this Kai."

"I'll make Ellie apple pie and Lucy those snickerdoodles she loves. She told me they're _way_ better than yours but don't tell her I said," he places his finger to her lips and Jo brushes him off, looking more appeased.

"No drama?"

"Just the usual holiday kind. I promise Jo," he adds softly, looking into her eyes and his twin relents, nodding her head. She sighs, balling her fists and then smiles.

"I'm gonna spend some time with my nieces before I head back, before sunset."

Kai nods, watching her walk out and Bonnie motions for him to sit beside her. He falls into the chair with a sigh as Abby takes one opposite. Kai smiles at her.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself."

"You're looking well."

"You look like a mountain man," Abby comments and Bonnie bursts out laughing as Kai rubs at his face, pouting. His usual stubble is now growing into a beard.

"I've been preoccupied," he looks at Bonnie, corner of his lips tugging and she looks away, her face heating. Abby gives a good natured eye roll and is about to get to her feet when Kai stops her. "I've always meant to ask you something but I never did."

"What?"

"How are you a witch again? Bonnie didn't give you the cure, Elena Gilbert got it."

Abby blinks, sitting back down in the chair. She looks at Bonnie. "You never told him?"

"I – well at first I didn't want to," she confesses and Kai tilts his head, offended but Bonnie carries on. "I thought the less people who knew the safer the girls would be."

Abby nods. "She's right but I guess it doesn't matter here," she looks at Kai, who leans forward with curiosity. "I was a vampire when Bon and girls came to stay with me. I – I found it hard, having them there. I was scared that I would hurt them, I tried to hide the blood and avoided feeding in front of them. They saw me though and they thought I was sick. So they made me medicine."

Kai sits back, understanding dawning on his face. "They cured you?"

"Yup. Brought me a beaker full of pomegranate juice, willow bark powder and god knows what else and told me to drink. They believed it would make me better. They made it using their magic, didn't matter if it was tap water in that cup."

"They didn't know what they were doing but it worked," Bonnie adds.

"My magic is really weak. I don't really feel nature like I used to and I age slowly but I'm alive."

Kai whistles, sitting back. "Christ if any vampire found out they can create a cure…"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I asked them about it afterwards but they couldn't remember what they did."

"But did you test it again? On a vampire? I bet your friend Stefan would be up for it?"

"I never told him."

"That doesn't surprise me," Kai smiles a little smugly and Bonnie ignores him and gets to her feet and Kai stands with her. "Obviously we'll keep this between us. I think if Amelia realised she had the means to cure vampirism she'd never be out of the laboratory here."

Bonnie nods in agreement, standing by Kai and watching Jo hug the twins goodbye. Bonnie eyes Kai, taking in his appearance and thinks despite the beard and the healthier gleam in his eyes he looks thinner. She runs her hand up his back and he looks down.

"Go back to bed after you say goodbye to Jo."

"What about you? I know I kept you up last night and not in a good way."

"I'll just kick you out," she answers breezily and he nods before pulling her up into his arms and running his bearded cheek along her own, making her laugh and struggle. "Get that under control, damn!"

"I thought you were starting to like the stubble burn between your thighs?" he whispers and she pushes him away as Jo and the girls approach.

"Stubble yes, furry sand paper no."

Kai chuckles as he bends down to pick up Samson the pug, who has taken a very quick liking to him. He hugs the dog, narrowing his eyes playfully at Bonnie as they take Jo back to the gate, the girls going with her just to be safe. Bonnie holds her breath but they return thirty seconds later, carrying their luggage from the car. Sunset is still hours away and they now have two weeks until thanksgiving.

* * *

Kai improves slowly, his magic growing stronger but his body becomes slimmer, his appetite affected. He can only take a few bites at a time, food making him feel queasy, which aggravates more than having a weakened magic supply.

"Being in 1994 for so long I didn't have to worry about my appearance at all. I was always the same weight, hair always the same length, I couldn't put on muscle or lose it. I could eat as much as I wanted. This sucks," he moans, watching Bonnie finish a cup of hot chocolate before bed. She waves a spoon at him.

"Is that why you looked so different when I saw you at the rave? Because damn."

He smiles, ankles crossed as he lies in bed. He had been reading as he recuperated, catching up on some Stephen King that Luke had left in the library. "It was one of my promises to myself when I got out: make over. I treated myself to a spa day."

Bonnie laughs, imagining him in a fluffy robe and towel wrapped around his head as ladies give him a pedicure. She doesn't know why she is laughing, that is likely _exactly_ what he did. She shakes her head, placing the empty cup onto the desk and climbing into bed. "Did a small woman walk on your back?"

"Yes! Holy fuck that was amazing. I thought she was gonna break me in half but afterwards it felt like I was actually walking right for the first time. Perfectly aligned," he cuts his hand through the air as Bonnie curls up by his side. Her mother is settling in, spending days with Bonnie exploring the house and grounds, reconnecting with Lia and catching up with Ames. There is even a studio for her to paint and sculpt. Bonnie waves her hand at the stereo and _Can't Get You Out of my Head_ by Kylie Minogue plays. She chuckles, asking if it was one of Luke's additions and Kai nods. She rests her arm over Kai's chest, breathing in his scent, head on his shoulder.

"The girls are _really_ excited for thanksgiving."

"Me too! I told you it was my favourite day of the year."

"Not mine. That was the day you left."

Kai opens his mouth, his happiness fading. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth now."

"You were a fucking asshole," she utters and she feels his heart racing against her cheek. She had forgiven him but remembering comes with a sting of bitterness. "You could have just cut my finger."

"…If I left you standing you would have tried to stop me. You didn't want anything to do with me but I didn't want you dead but I also didn't want you messing with my plan."

"Some plan," she looks up, not sure where this has sprung from. Maybe Jo's words have gotten to her, lying low and waiting until the approach of thanksgiving. The holiday is now tainted for her, same with her birthday, but she celebrates for her children.

"What's wrong?" he frowns, looking into her eyes and Bonnie shrugs, looking back down.

"Just know that it's not a good time of year for me."

"…Okay."

"No spaghetti."

"Right," his chest jerks with a contained laugh. "Anything else?"

"Shave that damn beard. Seriously it's gone past mountain man and approaching Dumbledore territory."

Kai gasps happily. "That's a compliment. When I get old, I mean when I start to look it, I want a beard I can tuck into a belt. The man was stylish _and_ surprisingly Machiavellian. Should have been in Slytherin, like me."

"Someone to look up to..."

"Don't mock, Hufflepuff."

"What houses are the girls in?"

"Ames is Ravenclaw, no question. Lia is a tie between Gryffindor and Slytherin. She's very ambitious," Kai says proudly and shuffles out from below her as her eyes become heavy. He climbs out of bed, turning off the music and after giving her one hard scratchy kiss on the cheek she hears him entering the bathroom and the sound of running water follows her into sleep.

 _…_ _She sits at a table, the children sat around her waiting in anticipation. A dark haired fourteen year old boy with glasses smiles as a huge silver tureen hovers over the table and then descends. A beautiful little girl with striking blue eyes and very long dark hair grips her knife and fork, waiting in anticipation as the cover is lifted. Bonnie squints as steam obscures her vision and the children clap at the mountain of spaghetti that is revealed. Two blonde toddlers, a boy and girl, laugh in delight._

_There is no sauce, she thinks faintly_

_"_ _It's almost perfect," a voice says and she looks up to see Kai standing next to her chair. He grins, his face smooth and looking impossibly young. Even at twenty two he looked younger._

 _"_ _W – what?"_

 _"_ _All I really need is Bennett blood," he smiles, his eyes devoid of emotion and Bonnie gasps as he grabs her arm and yanks her up. A knife shines in the light as he slams her down onto the table, the children still clapping and banging their utensils on the table as Kai drives the blade into her stomach._

"No!" Bonnie bolts awake in the dark, kicking the covers aside. She pants, heart hammering against her ribs as Kai sits up beside her, calling her name sleepily. She takes gulps of air, still half in the nightmare and turns to him. She screams again and blindly hits out, catching his shoulder as his smooth face looms above her.

"Bonnie!" Kai gasps, struggling to catch her arms but she hits out again, wild panic flooding through her until she tumbles out of bed and onto the floor. Kai gets on his knees and the lights wink on, showing him clearly. He had shaved as she slept, his face now hairless. With the added weight loss he now looks the closest to the Kai she first met in 1994. He lifts his palms up, immobilised by her fear.

"Oh my god," she breathes, getting on her knees to clutch the covers, staring at him with wide eyes. He slowly lowers his hands and crawls over, looking concerned and after a hesitating moment she sits on the bed.

"What the hell was that?"

"Nightmare. I – I hadn't had one like that since…" since the 1903 prison world. Bonnie says nothing, taking in his troubled expression, the concern in his eyes and moves closer to him. She inhales and reaches up to touch his cheek. "Just a nightmare. I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"…I'm sure," she smiles weakly, her breathing evening out but her heart still races as they stare at each other, the tension thickening, lengthening until she captures his lips, the kiss quickly growing desperate. He rolls her under him and she tugs down his boxers, palming his cock and he becomes hard instantly. Kai pushes her pyjamas and panties down around the curve of her ass, his touch gentle but rushed. They breathe heavily and when he slides his face against hers Bonnie's chest contracts, forcing air from her lungs before he enters her. Fingernails scratch at his bare back and she bites against his shoulder before lathering the spot with her tongue. Her body rushing with a strange urgency Kai thrusts in and out slowly, hands cupping her face but she shakes her head.

"What?"

"Faster. Please."

He hesitates before nodding, leaning down to kiss her cheek before he leans up on his elbows and begins to jack hammer his hips against hers. Bonnie spreads her legs, wanting him in as deep as possible. Pulling the t-shirt over her head Kai leans down to suck and bite at her breasts, Bonnie's hand pulling his hair until he hisses. He looks up, his mouth stretched into a grin and Bonnie groans, closing her eyes and scratches at his back with her other hand. That grin…They had talked of creating fantasies of the past and even acted a few out but this feels different. The nightmare hovers at the edge of her pleasure, a man-child with a knife. His cock drives deep into her, making the bed bang against the wall and she arches her neck, her legs stiffening with pleasure. She inhales a lungful of air and almost chokes as she comes. That smell, what is it? Had she smelt it when she awoke? It had been in her dream, it had been in 1994…

"Why?"

"Bon? Yes, yes, yes…I wanna, I wanna, _fuck_ that's so good…" Kai's hand slides up her sweaty, heaving chest, fingers getting caught in the old necklace he had given her years ago. He tugs, wrapping it in a fist and she moans as he captures her lips. They kiss, tugging and clawing at each other before he leans up and pounds wildly until he spills into her, twitching and quivering. She clenches around him, with every part of her, and Kai collapses, still drawing in and out of her slowly.

"What did you want?" she asks breathlessly, stroking his back and hair.

"I wanna tie you up, rub you down with this magic mana stuff and then lick it _all_ off you," he mumbles sleepily, moving to kiss her chest and shoulder. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" she continues stroking his hair, thinking that he has fallen asleep when he speaks.

"Sure you're okay?"

"…I'm fine. Go to sleep," she urges gently, kissing his head and he smiles, rolling onto his back and taking her with him. Bonnie smiles too, closing her eyes and breathes deep. She frowns, wrinkling her nose. "Are you wearing CK One?"

But Kai is asleep and the scent disappears and the next morning she forgets about it. The man she knew in 1994 had worn the musky, light scent almost every day, present day Kai detests it. She must have been imagining it.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_One more chapter to go, I think. I should have it up by the weekend._


	24. Chapter 24

_**an:** below is a description of what happened on the 9th of May. So warnings for graphic violence._

* * *

The week leading up to Thanksgiving is a busy, tense and confusing ordeal. Kai plans for the extended family feast to the smallest detail, from the stuffing to the centre pieces. Bonnie knows he does this to pour all his anxiety into an outlet, along with his inability to stay still for too long. For her part she is resigned to take a back seat, Kai's focus reminding her heavily of Caroline. Once either is in _the zone_ she knows to keep a distance or get sucked into their whirlwind.

Bonnie's mind is in enough turmoil. For days her nights have been beset with bizarre and gruesome nightmares that leave her feeling jumpy and peculiar for the rest of the day. All concern Kai and 1994. She had pinned it on Eloise's description of his siblings deaths and not wanting to voice something that Kai will not confront she keeps silent. But then the nightmares follow her into the waking world, the occurrences so abrupt that she begins to wonder if she is imagining it. Either that or his siblings have decided to haunt her…

" _You can survive without a spleen!_ "

Bonnie spins around, eyes wide. "What did you say?"

Kai looks up from the journal. "Huh? I didn't say anything."

"But I heard…" Bonnie shakes her head and looks around the room. They are in a restricted section of the library, a cloaked room that houses a vast collection of prophecies. These range from hastily jotted down phrases on napkins, barely audible recordings and videos of witches in trances, babbling and screaming. The entire room is a strange eclectic mix of objects, which some dedicated Gemini has devised an archive system for, stored in cabinets and bookcases.

"The record player?" he shrugs, pointing at the vinyl record that turns on a deck. As soon as Kai had entered the room he had looked through the audio recordings and then put on a particular vinyl. An American woman speaks in maddening riddles, soft as a lullaby. During the 1930's Ernestine Bennett had foretold many prophecies that people are still trying to decipher now. Kai thought she would like to hear the voice of one of the greatest, and maddest, witches of her family.

"I heard a man."

Kai shrugs and goes back to reading through an account of a siphoner who had been lynched in Scotland during the 1650's, due to the word of a seer. Kai shakes his head, jaw clenching. "They tied her to cattle and ripped her apart because they thought she'd cause a famine. Twelve years old…"

"Poor girl. Sounds like a blood sacrifice," Bonnie comments as she trails her eyes over bottles filled with potions locked inside a cabinet. If swallowed they will induce powerful visions that last hours. She moves towards the record player, trying to focus on the logorrheic voice rather than the tight feeling in her gut.

"… _Timberwolves take the cup and howl at the moon. Dead inside the living and no wonder America got dumb. Hiding in plain sight, hiding in your head and in your bed…Gold leeches suck until the twins are no more. You want one or two of those? Little witch…little witch…you listening? I wish I could say I have a big diabolical plan but I just wanna make you suffer, nothing else. He won't kill you so you're it…Lift the veil, moon anchored to the sun, kissing in the middle of the sky…you'd make such a pretty bride, such a pretty ghost_ … _I know you can hear this so hear it well._ "

Bonnie frowns, listening to the calm but incomprehensible voice of her ancestor. "Was she insane?"

"Pretty much, she was institutionalised down in New Orleans. She saw snippets of the future and just did this word vomit when she was in a trance. Someone decided to record her. There's hours and hours of it."

"How do you know so much about her?"

Kai laughs, turning in the chair. "I've had _years_ to study your family Bonnie. They've always been entwined with mine."

"Entwined, that's a word for it," she smirks and moves between his legs, Kai placing his hands on her hips. "Was it knotty?"

"Very. Lots of unlacing and stripping to get to the good stuff."

"And what was that?"

"I'll show you," he pulls her forward and Bonnie straddles his lap, making the chair spin. He moves to capture her lips but Bonnie leans back, Kai's hands on her lower back. He whines as she presses a finger against his lips.

"We're here to research."

"We're taking a break," he bites at her finger but she pulls it back, wagging. Kai slides his hands around her ass and tugs her forward, making her hair shower over his head as he buries his face against her neck. They make love every chance they can and her desire has not been abated with time. Lips press along the slope of her throat, his teeth grazing and she shudders, her arms wrapping around his back. The record continues to spin, filling the large room with an empty crackling noise, the seer falling silent. As she drags her fingers down his chest and flicks at his belt buckle the prophetess begins muttering again, almost inaudible.

" _Shush…shh…shhh…"_

Faces almost touching, their eyes locked, Bonnie unbuckles his belt and snakes it free but he grabs it before it falls. Bonnie smirks.

"Wanna tie me up?"

"I want it around your throat," he whispers, pulling her head back by her hair to kiss and bite her neck. Bonnie closes her eyes, fingers digging into his shoulders as her muscles clamp with an odd tension. Her nightmares have started to take a violent, erotic path where a young, psychotic Kai ties her wrists with rope and then proceeds to fuck her from behind in a dark, cramped space. The trunk of a car, she thinks. She pushes them from her mind but her body grows tense.

" _Shush…I thought about taking the keys but that would be like taking cheese out of a mouse trap_."

Kai goes completely still, one hand buried in her hair while the other dangles the belt in the air.

" _Fun fact: mice, they don't actually like cheese. Isn't that great?..Shuuuuushhh!_ "

The belt in his hand falls to the floor with a clatter as Bonnie pushes against him and stumbles to her feet. Kai stands hurriedly, looking at the record player where the seer continues talking, repeating words that Kai said to her years ago before he throws out his hand and the vinyl screeches. Silence fills the room, only broken by their heavy breathing.

"…Bonnie?" he moves towards her but she throw up a hand and he stops immediately. His eyes fill with conflict, clearly wanting to come to her but he stays still.

"Is this a trick?"

"What? No. She – she was your ancestor, she must have been seeing your future…I didn't know she was gonna say that, I never listened that far."

Bonnie nods, crossing her arms over her chest. She bites the inside of her cheek, her heart beating hard. She has not really thought about what happened between them in 1994 until the nightmares started, had not wanted to but now staring at his clean shaven face the past is haunting her.

"Something weird is going on," she says and Kai nods, taking a step closer.

"You're not sleeping. You try to hide it but I wake up and you're not there. You sleep on the couch before coming back to bed so I don't notice…but I have," he takes another step as Bonnie lowers her arms, exhaling a breath. "You're having nightmares about me again aren't you?"

She says nothing for a moment, does not move until she nods, looking at the ground. "After that day at your grandmother's. I thought it was a one off but they keep happening."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks and Bonnie shrugs.

"Because it's about something you won't talk about."

"…May 9th?"

She nods, stepping closer. "And what happened between us. You – you make me food and then kill me. You chase me and then kill me. You fuck me and then kill me. Almost every night," she inhales a shaky breath as he finally stops inches away from her. Kai shakes his head, gaze tormented and when he lifts his hands to touch her he hesitates. In that tense stillness, caught in his restraint, she throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. Kai sighs as she presses her face against his chest and he holds her.

"This is really fucked up. I don't know what to say."

"I know. I don't understand why it keeps happening. It feels deliberate."

"You think someone is warping your dreams?" he looks down at her upturned face. Worry and stress create harsh lines around her mouth.

"I don't know, is that possible?"

"All the rooms are warded and the beds are enchanted to promote good sleep. I haven't had any nightmares…actually I haven't dreamt at all," he adds with a frown and tilts his head. He brushes back her hair, cupping her face. "I don't know what's caused this but I think I can do something about them."

"What?" Confusion and fear are less now, shrunk to a ball in the pit of her stomach.

"Let me share your dreams. I might be able to change them where you can't."

Bonnie thinks about it. Letting someone into her head, letting them witness such vulnerable moments, would usually be impossible and the fact that they involve Kai makes her want to pull away but maybe this is her subconscious crying out for something, the ghosts of their pasts demanding to be seen. Maybe if she lets him in then they will leave her in peace.

"Okay…but you're sure no one has been tampering with my mind?"

"Who? I'm the only one else in the bedroom and I swear I haven't done anything to you."

"I know," she says, holding him tighter as he begins to get defensive but he quickly becomes worried again. He looks at the belt on the floor and clenches his jaw.

"I didn't mean what I said, about the belt."

"Yeah you did," she smirks.

"…Okay I did but that was before I knew you were having nightmares about me. I wouldn't do anything you didn't want. I'm trying not to freak you out by unleashing all my depraved wants and needs at once."

Bonnie smiles and then bites her lip. "I don't think you're strong enough yet for whips and paddles. As long as there's no red room here we're good."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Bonnie moves away but he grabs her hand and then kisses the back of her wrist, right over the pulse point.

"I want to make this up to you."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to. I don't want you to be frightened of me."

"I'm not. It's weird and uncomfortable but I trust you. You can touch me, I want you to."

Kai stares at her intensely, fingers lacing through hers, and then pulls her forward and gently lowers his lips to hers. The vinyl continues to spin, the seer silent.

* * *

June grows hot, the sea breeze dying as the sun beats down on the island. The girls lounge on the huge boughs of the white oak tree, the small tan dog snoozing in the shade below.

"It's probably snowing in the real world," Lia says and Ames nods, arm thrown over her eyes. Neither move, their bare legs dangling over the branch. They had swum in the ocean and now dry off in their bathing suits.

"Thanksgiving in June. We should tell dad to have a barbecue instead."

"Don't, he'll start crying," Lia warns and they chuckle. Their father has been driven by a whirlwind of excitement and nerves, wanting to impress with their very first family get together since their memories returned, to which their grandfather is invited. Ames is nervous to meet him but Lia tells her he's not too bad, just quiet and serious.

"We can throw one on the 21st, the day of the reset."

"Dad's unofficial birthday."

"Then Christmas is next. I love it here but I can't wear Christmas sweaters in 90 degree heat. It's just fundamentally wrong. If we're still here we've got to make it snow."

Lia nods as Ames sits up, blinking sunspots out of her eyes. The tree is huge, it's leaves blocking out most of the sun so it dapples them. She looks though the branches, spotting her father and smiles, waving. He waves back and then disappears from view, possibly walking through the vegetable patch. He and their mother have had a strange, fragile sort of tension hanging between them. He touches her with an extra tenderness, never raising his voice and there is a marked attentiveness, eager to make her laugh. Their mother is coiled, quiet and particularly reserved. It is peculiar.

"What if she's pregnant?" Ames asks abruptly and Lia lowers her arm from her face. She squints.

"But the island resets, so she can't be."

"I know that but she _could_ be right now. Explains why they're so weird," Ames rests down onto her front, leaning on her elbows. The red pendant around her neck swings in the air above the branch.

"You just want them to have another set of twins so they can take our place."

"Do you ever think before you speak?" Ames scowls and a cascade of leaves showers her twin, who sits up laughing, pushing the leaves away so they float down onto the dog below. Samson snuffles and continues sleeping.

"Yeees. I've been thinking about it, haven't you? To have a little brother or sister?"

"Sure but I don't want them to die."

"Neither do I but if there's no one else then it's us and I'm not doing the merge."

"Neither am I…but if we don't then the coven will die when dad does," Ames says worriedly.

"So we make sure he doesn't die. We keep him here," Lia says and then immediately regrets it. Her dad has possibly been locked up once before, likely for a very long time in a place where he could not age. They could not inflict that on him again, no matter how happy they are right now.

"Do you think he'd do it? For the coven?"

Lia looks at her twin, who does not know Kai as well as she does, and shakes her head. "Not for the coven, for us. He'd die for us, for mom."

Amelia smiles strangely, feeling a mix of gratitude and fear. He is sick, though he has been improving, so any mention of death makes her stomach turn over. "We have to protect him, make sure he's okay. Not just for us but for everyone."

Lia nods, thinking of ways to do so that does not require him being confined to the island. Ames draws the pendant along her chain and Lia follows the movement as she thinks. Ames lowers her hand and the faceted jewel touches the bark of the tree.

"Woah, look," Lia points. The blood within the crystal bubbles and boils. Ames sits up, gripping the jewel and frowns in confusion.

"The magic is weaker. Interesting," she pulls the chain over her head and then swings the pendant over the bark. When it touches the wood the vampire blood within froths and Ames snatches it back with a gasp. "I hope Stefan's blood isn't like boiling in his veins right now."

"That's so weird. The tree is the only thing that can kill an original vampire. I bet if you had _their_ blood in that thing they'd be rolling on the floor in agony."

"Their blood must be way more powerful. Stefan's blood gets old, loses it's magic so I have to get top ups every few months. We should ask dad if there's any vamp blood here."

They nod and jump down from the tree, rudely awakening Samson. The dog watches the girls racing from the tree, shouting about making a treehouse, dancing under the baking heat of the sun and after a lengthy debate he decides to go back to sleep.

* * *

"Close your eyes."

"Are you sure you want to do this again?"

"Are you?" Kai asks as he stares down at her in bed. He had slipped into her dreams, hoping his presence would change them but so far he has been a hapless bystander, unable to stop the attacks that his nightmare-self commits. He had almost thrown up after the first time.

"I want them to stop but if there's nothing you can do then don't torture yourself. I'm sure there's a spell that can help," Bonnie assures him, touching his face but Kai shakes his head.

"Maybe we've got this mixed up. Maybe they're not your nightmares."

"Then who's?"

"Mine," he utters and Bonnie considers this. The nightmares have been a mix of her time in 1994 but also scenes that she had never witnessed, people and places that only Kai would know.

"How?"

Kai smiles with no humour. "This place answers to me but I guess I can't answer to myself. I can't stop my nightmares from happening so I just gave them to you."

"Thanks," she grouches and he groans, burying his face against her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her hair. He looks up.

"Come on I think it'll work this time. I hate this weird thing that's happening, I can't touch you without feeling guilty. You keep flinching."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do and they're starting to notice. I'm going crazy Bonnie."

She snorts. "You'd be going mad even without this happening. Thanksgiving has really done a number on you."

"Exactly. So I need to face these demons before the real ones come for yams and turkey," he brushes his fingers over her cheek, growing serious. "I won't let another night pass like this for you. It's torture and it's my fault."

Bonnie's smile fades at the look of remorse in his eyes and she relents. "Okay, make them stop. Close your eyes, let me in."

Kai smiles briefly before kissing her forehead and then lies down beside her. She touches his temples with her fingertips, her palm cupping his cheek as he closes his eyes. Kai is not an easy sleeper so she whispers soothing spells, promoting slumber. As his breathing evens out and his eyes begin to rove under his eyelids Bonnie closes her eyes, letting her heartbeat and breathing sync with his.

At the edge of sleep she feels a presence, a cloud that could slip in unnoticed with her next inhale so she breathes out, pushing the nightmare back into his mind. It struggles, slipping away but her mind is sealed shut. Nowhere else to go it sinks into his subconscious and Bonnie follows it…

…The other chairs are empty, the plates gone from the placemats. Her spaghetti, which is dotted with peas – _gotta have your vegetables_ – lies untouched. He spears a pea onto the end of his knife and pops it into his mouth. He smiles at her in the soft evening light, the hunting knife resting against his bottom lip for a moment.

"Don't you like it?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You shouldn't let good food go to waste," he chastises and settles down the knife to pull her plate towards him. Bonnie, who feels a lucid curiosity, watches as he begins twirling his fork in the pasta.

"Where are you right now?" she asks and Kai looks up and frowns at her, laughing.

"Portland? I know you're not impressed with my home town but yep, still Portland."

Bonnie nods. He does not appear to know he is dreaming. Kai reaches for the wine bottle but it is empty. He had drunk all of it, she had not touched a drop, like the food. Had he been drunk when he stabbed her? He had not shown it, just a languid ease. She tenses when he lowers the fork but keeps hold of the bottle. He considers it and then her.

"I shouldn't drive, I want to get there in one piece. You should drive."

"…And where are we going?"

"Home," he smiles again, placing the bottle down but does not let go of it as he continues eating. Bonnie swallows, the light around them unchanging. He should be stabbing her now, chasing her through the dusk lit house. Maybe the Kai she knows now is aware this is a dream and fighting to stop it. His knuckles go white around the bottle neck as she leans closer, Nirvana playing on the stereo. _Come As You Are_.

"We should go back together."

Kai continues eating, eyes downwards. His jaw clenches. "You said to go separate ways, divide the world in half."

"No, I want to go home."

"With _me_?" he looks up and the soft hurt that had been in his eyes as he told her about his upbringing shines. "I could hurt you."

"You promised not to."

Kai smirks, fingers trailing over the neck of the bottle. "Oh Bonster, you never wanna believe my promises. I want you back with me more than just about anything but in this case my dad is right: coven does come before family."

He brings the bottle down on the edge of the table but Bonnie is ready. All those years ago Kai had made her dinner in the house he grew up in and he had placed his pager and pocketknife right beside her. Out of the two he had snatched the pager from her, the knife he had left there as a test. She grabs it, flicking it out as they get to their feet. The broken bottle wavers before her face, her blade against his neck. He smiles.

"I can't die."

"Yes you can."

"So do it," he utters softly, mouth pursing in a tight daring smile but his eyes grow intense, willing her to kill him. "Come on, you're right against my femoral artery. Where you stabbed me with the pen, remember? I'll bleed out in minutes. You could take the ascendant and run."

"Kai, this is a nightmare."

"I know right? Come on Bonnie, cut me and end it. You wanna wake up right?"

Her hand wavers as he swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing. His mouth is curled into a smile but his eyes are blazing, the bottle shaking. He silently pleads with her: kill me, kill me before I kill you. Every nightmare so far she had never been able to escape, at his mercy, but now she has the power.

"…I can't."

"Do it!" he shouts, making her jump and as his fear and rage erupt he pulls the bottle back to smash it against her skull. Bonnie thrusts forward, closing her eyes and feels a gush of hot blood over her fingers. Kai falls back, making a strange gurgling laugh and the glass smashes to the floor. Bonnie's eyes spring open but the kitchen is empty, the plates and food missing.

"Kai?" she sits back down weakly, her fingers curling into her hand. The switchblade and blood are gone but she can still feel it, smell it. Tears prickle her eyes but she scrubs them away and gets to her feet. She is still dreaming but Kai is nowhere to be seen. The light from outside in unchanged, caught in a perpetual sunset but as she walks to the doorway she hears a noise and halts.

"The eclipse is tomorrow!" a boy says, suddenly walking out of a door to her right. Another boy with glasses follows, younger. Bonnie inhales sharply, staring at the teenagers. In the nightmares Kai's brothers had never really spoken, never moved. The eldest boy looks eerily like Kai but with wavy light brown hair and is much shorter. Elliot appears to be eighteen or so and very handsome. The lanky boy with glasses and bright blue eyes, Joey, snorts.

"Tell that to bumblebutt."

"You're a bumblebutt!" a girl shouts from the kitchen and Bonnie turns to see Eleanor at the kitchen table with Liv and Luke. And Kai. He is helping them make pinhole cameras as Eleanor squints through the window at the sun. She is breathtakingly lovely. Kai ignores them, concentrating on the box.

"Will mommy see us from heaven?" Luke asks and Liv nods.

"She and Jesus can watch the eclipse from up there!"

"We're Jewish guys," Eleanor reminds them and Kai snorts, lowering the box. He smiles at Liv, cocking his head.

"Witches don't go to heaven Olivia."

"Then where?"

Bonnie tenses, thinking he is going to say hell but he does not. "The Other Side," he answers and then smiles briefly at their confused faces. He shrugs. "Call it heaven if you want."

"Can we go outside and play? Just for a little bit?" Liv asks, separating her thumb and index finger apart.

"Hide and seek!" Luke shouts. "Come find us Kai!"

"Maybe later…" Kai mumbles, losing interest, so Eleanor answers.

"Come back in before dark okay?"

"Okay!" they shout and slide off the chairs to the ground and run out. Bonnie watches them clasp hands and her heart swells and breaks. They will never see their mother or each other again, there is no other side or heaven, Kai is right. What might be beyond for them she has on clue but she hopes it is not a pale, lonely reflection of the real world, as she had once experienced the other side. This thought whirling around her head she looks back at the table. Eleanor, with her dark straight hair that reaches down to her hips, sits beside her big brother. A clip with a gold bee on it keeps hair off her pretty face. Bumblebee.

"Where's Josette? She was meant to help with this," Kai asks, slotting a panel into the box and Eleanor shrugs.

"In her room I guess…Malachai?"

"What?"

"I've got a bad feeling," she whispers and he gives her a passing glance before smirking.

"You ate dinner too fast."

"No. I felt this before, before mamma died."

"You were eight."

"I felt it! I dreamed about it. You wouldn't understand," she dismisses and Kai lowers the box, giving the ten year old a lidded look.

"I wouldn't?"

"You're – you're not like me, like us. You don't have dreams like I do."

Kai smiles and leans closer and his sister freezes. "I have plenty of dreams. I can see the future. You know what's gonna happen tomorrow?" he asks and she shakes her head, eyes wide. She is frightened of him, Bonnie can sense it.

"The eclipse?"

"Obviously. Do you know what that is? That's a celestial event and this time it's not going to waste," he sits back, smiling as Eleanor blinks in confusion. Kai spots this and pouts, mock pitying. "Tomorrow me and Josette are going to merge."

Eleanor wrinkles her nose. "What? No you're not. Daddy said -"

"I don't care what dad said. My birthday has come and gone. I know all the stuff with mom got in the way but that doesn't matter now."

"But Jo doesn't want to," she explains and Kai clenches his jaw.

"Yeah she made that clear but the coven doesn't care about what she wants. It has to happen and tomorrow it is. Don't tell her bumblebee, or the others. I want it to be a surprise," he taps his sister on the nose as he stands.

Bonnie inhales, watching as he abandons the pinhole cameras and calls out Jo's name. He wears a raspberry pink t-shirt, a circular rainbow in the centre. She would laugh if her heart wasn't now beating in her throat. Kai whistles happily, passing Joey and Elliot playing Sega in the living room before taking the stairs two at a time. Bonnie follows him, her stomach doing somersaults. A teenage girl who looks like a dark inverse of Olivia pokes her head around a door and seeing Kai she rolls her eyes and slams her door closed with magic.

"Hi Lucille, bye Lucille…Josette?" he calls, his shadow stretching out before him as he pauses by a door with his twin's name written on it. He knocks and Bonnie can hear music playing loudly from within, _Whatta Man_ by Salt N Pepa. She smiles.

"Good choice," she murmurs but Kai does not turn. He does not appear to know that she is there anymore, the nightmare now a lucid memory rather than a dream. She wonders where he really is. Is he aware or is he caught in the memory? 1994 Kai sighs in annoyance and opens the door. The room beyond is dark but they can clearly see a young Jo climbing out of the window and turning, reaching for a suitcase still in the room. When she sees Kai they both freeze. Bonnie moves into the room to stare at his face as his hands snap into fists. For the briefest moment there is a look of hurt, which is quickly replaced by a blazing rage but even that is gone in the next instant. He gives a gentle smile.

"Need a hand?" he asks, moving forward and Jo watches her twin with wide, unblinking eyes. She had likely seen the rage on his face and knows better than anyone that it is now bubbling away beneath the surface like lava. Kai picks up the suitcase as she crouches on the roof, the setting sun illuminating part of her face and hair. She swallows, her thin red choker moving, the little sun charm swaying. It looks like her throat is slit. Kai hands her the suitcase and after a long pause Jo takes it. Kai does not let go.

"I'm leaving," she whispers and Kai nods, grinning.

"Running away. Again."

"No."

"No? Is there something wrong with the front door? You're sneaking out."

Jo shakes her head and tugs on the suitcase but Kai tightens his grip, still grinning. His twin gives a stifled shriek of frustration and lets go of the luggage and Kai stumbles. Jo, not anticipating the force of the movement, tilts back. She gasps, falling and Kai drops the suitcase and grabs her arm, his grin disappearing. Again they stare at each other, both holding their breath, before Kai roughly drags his sister back into the room.

"Get off!" she shouts as her bare knees scrape across the wooden floor. Kai lets her go, face twisting in anger.

"I swear if you die before tomorrow due to clumsiness…"

"Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?" she gets to her feet, close to the open window as Kai blocks the doorway.

"The eclipse. A nice big celestial event that will overlook the merge ritual," he smiles broadly, waving his hand at the darkening sky. Bonnie can hear a girl calling the toddlers back in, likely Eleanor. Jo looks back at Kai and laughs.

"The merge? I'm not merging with you."

Kai smiles, moving forward and Jo moves back. "Yes you are. I'm not waiting anymore, especially as you're so eager to move out," he says and then narrows his eyes. "Are you pregnant? Did that asshole not only cheat on you but knock you up?" he laughs.

Jo sucks in a wounded breath and then slams her hands against his chest, which only makes Kai laugh harder. "Don't mention Nathan! Not after what you did!"

"I was protecting you."

"You almost killed him! He might not walk again," she wails, breath catching in her throat as she tries not to cry. Kai glowers at her, shaking his head.

"He could have killed you."

"But he didn't! You beat him up so bad you broke his spine!"

Kai grins. "Good! Now he can't run away with you!"

"You asshole! I love him."

"He was cheating on you with that bitch from the pool. I fucked Cindy Waller and she told me," he yells and Jo stops breathing. She shakes her head, biting her lip.

"I don't believe you."

"I don't give a shit and I don't care about your 90210 drama. You're not going because tomorrow you're gonna merge with me."

He smiles and bends down to pick up her suitcase. Jo is rooted to the ground as he flicks on a light and hums a song under his breath. Bonnie watches as he unzips the case and goes about unpacking her clothes. Jo stares at the darkening sky, trying to keep in control but the light bulb overhead flares and goes out. Kai looks up and shakes his head but Jo ignores him, rubbing her hands over her face. She slumps, watching her brother placing her sweaters back in a drawer.

"…Do you love me?"

Kai freezes at the soft question and turns to Jo, baseball jersey in his hands. He cocks his head, like she had just spoken in a strange, dead language.

"Love?"

"Yes. Is there any part of you that loves me?" Jo moves closer and Kai backs up a little, starting to frown. "I think you did once, when we were small, when you were normal."

"Normal? Not a freak you mean? An abomination?" he sneers.

"I've never called you that. Not once. Kai…" she stares at her twin with pity and for the first time uncertainty enters his eyes. "Despite everything you do to me I love you, even if you can't. I want this to end, all the fights and false hope you're clinging to. It's not fair…so I'm just going to tell you the truth."

"Tell me what?"

"For as long as I can remember you've been focused on merging, on being our coven leader. Nothing else mattered to you, not me, not friends or anything. You think it'll make it okay, that it'll make up for what you are. A reward, right? You're stronger than me and Dad knew it. I think he wanted you to win originally…but not anymore," she says softly and Kai scoffs, turning back to fold away her clothes. Bonnie watches them closely, hoping that as this is a dream that maybe what unfolded on the night of May 9th can change. Maybe this time Jo will get through to him.

"It's what we were born for Josette. If we belonged to some other family then maybe it would be different but it's not. We're twins of the Gemini Coven, this is our duty."

Jo smiles softly, sadly. "You sound like dad…but he's changed his tune. You just don't wanna listen," she says and Kai stuffs another sweater into the drawer. Jo sighs, reaching out to touch his back but she curls her hand and drops it. "Duty and the coven, none of that matters. You have to let it go Kai, you have to focus on something else because right now it's not worth it."

He narrows his eyes, jaw clenching and Bonnie can feel his anger coiling. "What are you talking about?"

"We're not doing the merge Kai," she says softly and gently takes hold of his arm, making him turn. He looks down, blinking.

"Of course we are."

"No…These last few months, since mom died, you've been different and dad is worried. We're all worried. He – he doesn't think you're in the right frame of mind to do the merge and the district leaders agree." She speaks softly, like someone breaking a bereavement, but Kai looks up like she had shouted at him. His mouth carves into a sharp grin.

"Right frame of mind? Call it what it is Josette, he thinks I'm defective, has since I was six years old. A worthless siphoner."

"This isn't about you being a siphoner! You know I've never cared about that, not like the way it gets to you."

"Yeah, you've been real supportive," he replies scathingly and Jo leans back, looking hurt. Guilty. Had she sat by and said nothing as Kai had been called names by their parents, by others? Said nothing as worse had happened? Jo hardens, mouth thinning.

"Dad doesn't think you should be the leader so that rules me out too, okay? I don't have a choice in whether I want to merge or not. It's out of our hands now."

Kai blinks, speechless as he processes her words but he does not seem to comprehend. "Out of our hands?"

Jo sighs in weary pity and cups her brother's face. "We're free Kai. We don't have to be witches or what people expect of us. Don't you get it? We can leave and start new lives. Remember when you ran away with me when we were kids? We can do that now but for real. No going back and no one hunting us. We can be normal people."

Kai blinks rapidly, shaking her hands off. He breathes heavily, offset by her gentleness. "Normal? What the fuck is that? Being a real witch is all I want, being leader. It's all I have left, don't you understand? You'll be gone and I'll have no one because I'm stronger than you and I'll win, everyone knows it. You're just being a coward. The leadership is my birth right and no one can deny me that."

"But they have so just accept it," Jo shakes her head and turns, opening the suitcase and goes about repacking her clothes. Kai watches her for a minute, immobilised, before he grabs her and swings her around.

"What the fuck is going on?!"

"Dad doesn't want us to merge! He's waiting for Liv and Luke to grow older! Okay? It's not us anymore, it hasn't been for the last four years. It's Olivia and Lucas. You've been so self-absorbed you couldn't even see what was right in front of you! Why do you think they kept putting off the merge?"

Kai stares at his sister with utmost shock, his mouth falling open as she gives a hollow laugh. He inhales, his fingers tight around her forearm. "You're lying."

"I'm not. Ask dad when he comes back. He knows I don't want to be a witch and he's given his blessing for me to go. We couldn't tell you after what you did to Nate and all the other crazy shit you've pulled this last year. You need help. You're losing it Malachai."

Jo pulls out of his weak grasp and carries on packing and again Kai watches her but his gaze is unfocused, his face slack. Bonnie wants to touch him, to make him listen but he hears and sees nothing but the awful truth opening up like an abyss before him.

"I'm going to say goodbye, finish packing and go get my train," Jo says, heading towards the door but Kai suddenly springs into action, making Bonnie jump. He grabs Jo by the back of her neck and slams her head against the wall. Jo cries out in shock and falls to the ground. Dazed she looks up at her brother in surprise.

Kai's chest bellows with an almost demonic rage. "You're not leaving. You're not getting out of this!"

"You – you hurt me," she gasps, touching her head. There is no blood but it clearly hurts. Kai laughs, a tittering sound and it makes both Bonnie and Jo cringe.

"Hurt _you_? But I _love_ you Josette! However that cunt Nathan I could hurt over and over again. I'll cut out his heart, see if he's got one. You want that? Cause I will kill him if you take a step out of this house," he smiles in the dark as their siblings watch TV below. Kai moves to Jo and bends down, face close to hers. Tears roll down her face as she flinches.

"What's wrong with you?" she gasps, snapping her head back as he points a finger at her face.

"Nothing, it's everyone else who's losing it. I won't stop at Nathan either, I'll hurt everyone you care about if you fuck this up for me. You understand? Whatever I do will be your fault," he says softly, trailing his finger down her cheek. Jo winces as it glows red in the dark.

"You're insane! You're lying! Dad doesn't want you! The coven doesn't want you! Don't you get it?! You're fucking…worthless! Hurting people won't do shit!"

He smiles and it is awful. "We'll see."

"Get out!" she screams and Kai stands up and leaves his terrified sister to weep on the floor, slamming the door closed behind him. Bonnie watches Jo as she curls up and sobs like her heart is breaking. Bonnie bends down to stroke her hair but her touch does not land, her comfort not felt.

She stands up and then finds herself in the hallway. Night has fallen and the house is quiet. Bonnie moves along the hallway, hyper alert until she comes to a door opposite Jo's, standing ajar. She enters Kai's room and finds it utterly demolished, the bed overturned and desk smashed to pieces, his CDs all shattered and posters ripped and burnt. He slumps by the wall, his legs stretched out before him. He twirls a hunting knife between his knees, watching the way it flashes in the dark. He appears hypnotised, muttering to himself and there is a vacant look in his eyes. Bonnie has seen vampires without their humanity but even then there is a spark of life. Be it rage or lust or cruelty there is _something_. Kai is empty but for one thought.

"Abomination," he whispers and leans his head back against the wall. Hard. He bangs it over and over, the pain cranking up until he bares his teeth and suddenly gets on his feet. He staggers, catching his balance and then pulls the hunting knife from the floor. He almost falls again and laughs. Downstairs she can hear the TV quietly, likely his siblings staying up late because their father is not home. Maybe they are asleep, not knowing what is about to befall them…

Bonnie watches with a rising horror as he paces back and forth, chest swelling and she realises with a detached observation that it's not a rainbow on his chest but a mobius strip. Kai inhales deep breaths and then stalks out of his ruined room. He almost runs into Jo, who is coming up the stairs. She has not changed or left and when she sees Kai with the knife she just blinks in confusion. Maybe she had tried to brush it off, convince herself his threats were just empty words. Or maybe she was too scared to leave. Kai puts a finger to her lips as she opens her mouth.

"If you don't merge with me tomorrow I'm gonna kill them all," his voice is robotic, there is no anger or fear. Jo blinks, looking at his calm face and then scoffs, attempting to brush past him but Bonnie sees her terror. Bonnie braces herself the second before it happens. Kai lifts the knife and stabs Jo, driving the blade into her abdomen. Jo sucks in a breath, eyes bugging out of her head and Bonnie thinks in that second she feels no pain, only complete shock. Kai smiles and then covers her mouth as she starts to scream. She falls, voice muffled by his hand, the knife still in her stomach and Kai follows her down. He tilts his head, watching the blood spread over her white blouse.

"Spleen. You can live without that but I bet the pain is pretty bad huh? Merge with me and it'll stop."

Jo shudders, blue eyes huge as she shakes her head and then passes out from the pain. Her last look had been one of defiance, her blue eyes shards of ice. Fury flares up over his face and then a noise starts to buzz in Bonnie's ears. It had been there since entering his room but now it fills the air, seeming to create a red haze over her eyes.

What happens next is glimpsed in snippets of frenzied violence, the only recollection that Kai can now recall. He snaps. His connection to reality, to himself, dissolves and in it's place is a calm manic rage that fills the entire universe.

Curly haired Lucille exits a bathroom and Kai grabs her, pulling the belt free from her robe in the struggle. He gets the length around her neck and starts choking, his hands flaring red as he siphons her magic before someone suddenly jumps on his back. Eleanor. He drops sixteen year old Lucille, who is half dead already, and blindly pushes his beautiful little sister down the stairs. Bonnie sees her long hair wrapping around her shocked face and then she is lying in a heap at the foot of the staircase. Kai stops breathing, hands clenched and then he smiles, looking at the banister. Redness covers Bonnie's eyes as she flattens herself against the wall, too shocked to move. When it clears his sisters swing from the railing. Dead.

"No! Stop!" Bonnie begs as Kai walks calmly down the stairs. He does not see Liv and Luke running quietly behind him, the four year olds disappearing into a dark room. Hiding. Bonnie flings out her hands, wanting to use her magic to knock him out but she is powerless, no more than a ghostly visitor trapped in Kai's mind. All she can do is watch.

Joey stands frozen in shock by the kitchen door, staring at his sisters hanging from the banister. Kai grins at him and the teenager wets himself. Kai laughs as he tries to run and throws him against a glass door. Joey's glasses fly off as he tries to defend himself but Kai is too strong, his previous calm gone. He starts shouting, screaming words that Bonnie does not understand, smacking Joey's head against the wall until it cracks. He drains his brother's magic until he hangs like a ragdoll in his grasp before falling to the floor. Blood is smeared everywhere, pooling over the floor and Kai slips in it. In taints the air, a hot copper scent that mixes with Kai's cologne. Bonnie gags.

She crouches by the stairs, hands over her face and prays to see no more, to hear no more but she cannot wake up, this is Kai's nightmare. Kai breathes so heavily now he is hyperventilating, standing there with blood on his hands and soaking into his sneakers. For a moment he stares at the blood and his sisters swinging dead with confusion, his mouth opening in a silent agonised question but then someone punches him and he staggers, surprised.

"No! What did you do!? What did you do you fuck?!" Elliot roars, crying uncontrollably and Kai snarls, grabbing his brother by the throat. Elliot is four years younger than Kai but stronger and he puts up a fight, struggling every inch but Kai drains his magic, making him weak. He forces him through a door and there is nothing but their swearing and grunting before Bonnie hears a splash followed by gasping pleas. She covers her ears, face pressed against her knees and only looks up when the floorboard creaks. Kai moves past her and begins to call for Liv and Luke after a mumbled locating spell does not work. He is gorged on magic, over saturated like a useless sponge. Any attempt at magic is now impossible, a strange contradiction but the reality for a siphoner who overindulges. It makes him even more unhinged.

"Lucas? Olivia? Where are they? Josette? Where are they Jo?"

"Please, I want to wake up. Oh god please," Bonnie moans and Kai freezes on the stairs. His hands are in fists, his thumbs rubbing his knuckles over and over as he turns. He looks at the front door and then his eyes suddenly land on her.

"…Who are…Bonnie?" he blinks, inhaling and then seems to realise where he is. He looks at the blood on his hands, uncurling them and Bonnie pulls herself up. He stares, expression vacant, and then reaches for her. She screams and screams and screams…

* * *

He struggles to keep her in the room with him but Bonnie pushes him away, so distraught that she forgets she has magic.

"Please?" he begs, pulling her back into his arms. Tears obscure his vision, his chest heaving. They had both awakened sobbing, the bed sheets soaked with sweat. As soon as she realised she was awake and free she had jumped from the bed but he will not let her go, his desperation overwhelming.

"I can't. I can't. I can't," she repeats, her mind shrapnel, unable to think or speak clearly. She pushes him hard and he is so boneless that he falls onto the bed and then down onto the floor, back against the base. He pulls his knees up to his chest, watching her as she flings the door open and runs out.

" _God_ ," Kai groans and grips his head, lowering it to his knees. He screams and every light in the house flares like a dying star before darkness descends.

* * *

A storm batters the island, a tempest. As sunlight struggles to break through the clouds the seas roll and heave, crashing against the beaches and cliffs. Trees quake in the howling wind, the giant white oak groaning dangerously as lightening flickers.

Abby brushes the girl's hair back as they sleep restlessly, their dreams disturbed. They had crept into her room, not their parent's, and would not say why. Yawning, their grandmother leaves them to sleep in her bed and moves into the apartment Kai had given her. He said it had the best light for painting and she had taken the opportunity to do so. Abby looks up and stops. Bonnie sits on the couch, her legs jumping as they balance on her toes.

"You couldn't sleep either huh?" Abby smiles but it dies when her daughter looks at her. Bonnie's eyes are hollow and red raw and Abby knows that she has been sat in the same position for hours, staring at nothing. There have been years and years where she did not comfort her daughter and had grown to believe she could not but when Bonnie reaches out wordlessly Abigail sits on the couch and draws her daughter into her arms.

"Oh mom," Bonnie moans, burying her face against her mother's shoulder and sobs. Abby holds her, not speaking. She has hardly seen Bonnie so inconsolable and Abby knows why she never woke her up, never asked to sleep with her. She does not want the twins to witness her distress and maybe deep down they knew this.

"It's okay baby, it's okay," she soothes, stroking Bonnie's hair. She does this for an hour until she stops crying, chest heaving occasionally with sobs. Shaking and weak Bonnie sits back up, brushing her hair off her face.

"…I think my magic is blocked."

Abby nods in sympathy, sad but not surprised. "What happened? Is it Kai?"

Bonnie inhales another wet breath, biting her lip and nods. "I – I knew but I didn't _know_! I didn't see it mom," fresh tears spill down her face.

"I don't understand."

Bonnie nods. "I don't know what to do. He…what he did…" she cries again, hands covering her face and she growls with angered frustration. "I want to claw my eyes out."

"Bonnie…" Abby whispers worriedly and Bonnie lowers her hands, resting them limply in her lap.

"I want to forget, I don't wanna see what he did. I want to forget," she mutters and then gasps when she hears Amelia talking sleepily from the bedroom. She gets to her feet, staggering and Abby keeps her upright. "They can't see me like this."

"Bonnie it's okay."

"No it's not. I've seen so much death, I've felt it go through me over and over but that…I can't face him mom."

"…Okay…but what about thanksgiving?" she asks gently and Bonnie swears.

"I forgot," she groans, rubbing her face and jerks when she hears the girls moving. She steps back, shaking her head as Abby reaches for her. "I need – I need to be alone, get myself together," she says, tears welling up in her eyes and then runs from the room as the girls appear. Lia yawns as thunder rumbles. She looks around in confusion.

"Where did mom go?"

"She – she's gone back to bed," Abby says, motioning for them to sit so she can prepare them some breakfast. The girls nod, too sleepy to investigate but they watch the furious storm through the window with worry. Thanksgiving looks like it will be a wash out.

* * *

_**a.n:** _

_Stay with me guys and prepare for the fallout as the family comes together..._

_Thanksgiving proved too long and I didn't want to bombard you with angst so it's in the next chapter._


	25. Chapter 25

Jo taps her foot as her children sit with their father on the gate. Thanksgiving has proven to be a mild day, the winds soft but they are dressed for warmer weather and all in their best attire. Damon the husky sits by the gate, sniffing the ground as the black cat that Kai had taken in snoozes in a carry case.

"What's taking them so long?" Liv grouches, arms crossed over her chest. She had almost refused to come but she misses Lia so puts aside what she feels about Kai. Their father is silent, not showing any apprehension or anger. Joshua watches the seagulls swooping overhead, Eloise by his side and carrying a pumpkin pie. She had said nothing about Joshua threatening to put her in a coma, only offered her cheek for her son to kiss and he had obliged, after lifting the invitation barrier over the island for her. Ric had cocked his fingers at his temple and Jo had strung an imaginary noose around her neck, tongue out. Their family is beyond comprehension.

"Probably forgot what day it is," Ric answers and Jo sighs. Her stomach has been wrapping itself into knots, pulling tighter each day as the meal approached. Now it is a rock in the pit of her stomach. She won't be able to eat anything.

"Uncle Kai's probably putting on a show," Ellie says, jumping down from the gate as Lia and Ames suddenly appear, Bonnie's mother between them. Liv grins, the first genuine smile she has worn for days, and catches Lia in her arms.

"Aunt Liv! I'm so happy you're here."

"When have I ever missed thanksgiving?" she asks and Lia nods, eyes glowing before she hugs her cousins. Ames smiles shyly, hovering by Abby who gives a withering glance towards Joshua and then pretends he does not exist. She had come to him for help and he had turned her away so she had gone to Eloise. Jo looks down at their muddy rubber boots and frowns.

"Is it raining?"

"It's monsoon season," Amelia quips but she looks weary. All of them do. Jo moves over to Abby and hands her the ascendant, a drop of her grandmother's blood on it already.

"Is everything okay?"

"No," Abby answers simply and then hands the relic to the twins. They pause, looking unsure, eyes sweeping over their grandfather who says nothing. Jo smiles, crouching down to their eye level.

"You gonna get us over? Like before?"

"If that's okay?" Amelia asks nervously and Eloise answers, moving forward.

"Don't ask for permission," she instructs and waits patiently at the end of the isthmus, the sea calm. Both sets of twins giggle and then Lia and Ames instructs everyone to link arms, while Ames takes Jo's hand. Once all are touching Lia activates the small device, Ames muttering the spell and with a flood of immense power they disappear in a beam of white light.

* * *

"You weren't lying about the rain," Ric says breathlessly as they watch the storm through the parlour window. They had been shielded but the sight of trees bent over in hurricane force winds and the sea raging had made them run. The husky cowers under a table, Mr Cuddles already claiming an armchair by the fire, his slitted green eyed fixed on the dog. The guests move into the warmth of the kitchen, the smell of baked bread, turkey and cranberry juice heavy on the air.

Eloise watches the storm through the window. "It's not usually this bad…what's happened?"

Abby shrugs, avoiding her keen eyes. The counters are weighed down with plates and bowls of food, far too much for twelve. Kai must have been stress baking. The knot in Jo's stomach grows tighter. Bonnie, in a long burgundy velvet dress, smiles at them in greeting as she suddenly walks into the room. She is poised, ushering them towards the dining room but there is a marked strain to the woman, her smile too present, her gaze fixed over their shoulders.

Jo tries to speak to her but Bonnie takes her place at the head of the table and her mother and children sit around her. Jo looks up and freezes. Kai sits at the other end of the table and she knows at once that something is terribly wrong. He smiles a weak, flickering thing and his eyes are glossy, passing over them as Bonnie's had. Where she is rigid control Kai is barely there, the usual kinetic force that radiates from him gone.

Jo sits beside her brother and almost gets back up at the stench of alcohol surrounding him. "Are you drunk?"

"A little."

"Kai."

"A lot."

"What's wrong?" she asks, leaning closer and Kai looks at her. His smile drips off his face and the drunken gloss over his eyes overflows.

"Everything. You wanna cut the turkey dad? I think I might cut my fingers off if I try," Kai pauses and then giggles and it sets Jo's teeth on edge.

Joshua blinks, not expecting Kai to talk to him so civilly. Jo looks at her despondent brother and nods at her father. They had all been expecting some form of retribution against Joshua but it seems her brother and Bonnie do not have it in them. Ric had even bought a device that nullifies magic for an hour, just as a precaution but it seems it will not be needed. Hopefully.

"If you insist. Everyone help themselves while I carve," Joshua instructs the table and after an awkward pause they begin ladling their plates. Kai watches his father carve the bird, an odd smile tugging his lips and he looks at Bonnie, who is also watching Joshua. Their eyes meet and Kai lifts his brows. Bonnie's lips purse as she snaps out a napkin and hands it to Amelia, ignoring Kai. He looks at his lap, not moving and when Jo nudges him he shrugs.

"Not hungry."

"Okay what's going on?" she asks under her breath. Kai turning down food is always a bad sign but thanksgiving? He has clearly put a lot of effort into this and he usually cannot wait to get started while also feeding off the attention and praise. Now he can't even lift his head.

"Not here," he says quietly, catching her eye and Jo's gut shrinks. Their father moves between them, placing turkey on their plates. He gives Kai a quiet compliment on the meat and her twin smiles and looks like he might burst into tears.

"Thanks dad."

"Oh my god have we moved into the twilight zone?" Ric whispers into her ear and Jo shrugs, not dismissing it. Something is very off and they can all sense it but they stare at their plates as Joshua sits. Kai picks up his utensils, banging them lightly on the table like a child. Christ he is so drunk. Jo exchanges a look of bewilderment with her father, who actually returns it.

"…Should we say what we're thankful for?" Ellie asks and Lucy nods, their blonde hair gleaming in the candlelight.

"Yeah, it's what we do every year. I'm thankful for my family, even the new ones," she quips and there are a few tentative smiles before another tense silence falls.

"Christ this is dreadful. Can we just eat and then Kai can go sleep off whatever is making the island sink?" Eloise injects suddenly and Kai laughs.

"Sure. Actually why don't I just do that now? That okay with you Bon?" he asks suddenly. She says nothing but the candles along the table and walls flares dangerously, threatening to set the autumnal centrepieces alight. Abby grips her hand and the flames shorten as Bonnie calms, breathing deep.

"…What's going on? Why are you acting like this? You've been avoiding each other all day," Lia says, biting the inside of her cheek to stop from crying. Bonnie and Kai look instantly guilty.

"Nothing," they say in unison and their gazes meet and then bounce away again. Ames shakes her head, the meal forgotten.

"No you've been _so_ weird. If – if you had a fight then you should just make up. Today's thanksgiving and we're all here. I wanna say what I'm thankful for," she adds, voice wavering nervously and the adults nod. Bonnie smiles gently.

"Go ahead baby."

"I agree with Ellie, I'm thankful for my family. I know that's strange seeing as we've been parted for a long time and that grandpa hates us but I want you to know that we're not bad people. We're different but we're not – not evil or anything. We don't want to be separated again, we want to stay with our mom and dad. I don't know why you did what you did," she says directly to Joshua, who looks like he wants to dig himself a grave and lie in it. "It was wrong…but I forgive you."

"I don't," Lia says and Ames smacks her thigh under the table. "What? I know you're not a bad person grandpa, I love you and all but well…fuck you," she says and Eloise smiles, sipping on wine. Kai chugs his down like water as Joshua shifts in his seat and then leans over the table to stare at the girls. His eyes are full of regret.

"What I did…I did it for the coven."

"We are the coven. We're your family but you took me away from my mom," Lia says and tears spill slowly down her face. "Why? Because we have expression? We won't hurt anyone with it, we want to learn how to control it."

Joshua nods, staring between them as he inhales deeply. "I care, of course I do and I know you're not evil. You're my grandchildren and I didn't want to hurt you...but I felt I had no other choice, I wanted to protect the family I had left…but I was wrong," he admits. Kai chokes on his wine and Jo and Liv blink in shock.

"Little late for apologies," Bonnie says in a low, deadly voice but Ames shakes her head.

"No it's not. If not now than when? This is the first time we're all together and so we should just like, clear the air or whatever."

"Even if the air is like that?" Liv asks, pointing at the storm raging outside. "Because the food won't be cold by the time that happens, it'll be gone. Come on, eat and then we can sing kumbaya."

Lia snorts and Ames nods, looking down at her plate. She looks guiltily at Kai, who stares at her in a drunken wonder. "Sorry dad, I know you spent a lot of time on this."

"S'okay, guess talking runs in the family."

They smile and the family begin to eat, most waving their hands over the food to reheat it. Kai sits back, watching them but he touches nothing and Bonnie only picks at hers. The next hour they cast furtive glances at each other and look away like it will kill them to stare too long.

The twins talk and laugh with their cousins, Amelia getting to know them, and Jo feels a knot in her stomach loosening at their excitement. She had anticipated carnage but it seems there is a wisdom and hope in the younger generation that skipped them…but then they never really had a chance.

* * *

Despite the chatter and the sound of satisfied people finishing desert Kai continues to dull his senses with alcohol, until Jo takes his glass away. He just waves his hand and another bottle appears on the table and he starts drinking directly from it. Ames and Lia are exploring the library with her girls, thankfully missing this debacle.

"Are you trying to give yourself liver failure?"

"Maybe? It's what Bonsai would – would want," he slurs, eyeing his silent and sullen girlfriend at the end of the table. Bonnie lifts her eyes and they pass over him. She has resorted to pretending that he does not exist, which just makes him drink more. He has moved from a weepy sadness to anger. Kai suddenly gets to his feet, unsteady and leans on the table for a moment before he grabs the champagne bottle and weaves his way to the end of the table.

"Kai?" Jo groans, wanting to understand but he just waves the bottle at her, spilling champagne. He moves until he gets to Bonnie's chair and stands behind her. The witch stiffens, not turning or moving as he gazes down at her. His expression flickers from misery to reproach.

"You want me out - out of their lives, right? _Not_ gonna happen…What do you want me to do? Speak to me!" he yells and looks up as Jo stands. He smiles widely but his eyes are devoid of any humour. "I think I've given her a PTSD. Is – is that's what it's called? Or is that a sex disease?" he laughs, swinging the bottle aimlessly. Bonnie gasps.

"What are you talking about?" Jo asks, going to them but Bonnie backs her chair up suddenly, smacking Kai in the chest and he falls against the wall. Bonnie gives him a wretched look and runs from the room, her mother quickly following. Kai watches her go with a despondent satisfaction but it disintegrates under another wave of sadness. Jo is bewildered, she has never seen her brother in such a state, usually because he is very careful not to get this drunk.

"She hates me Josette," he utters softly, his mouth trembling as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor. He stares at the bottle as their father steps into the room. He motions for Jo to leave but she hesitates. Joshua takes her elbow gently.

"I'll get him sobered up. Speak to Bonnie. We can't have him like this, it's not safe," he whispers and Jo nods but she still hesitates. She should look after her brother, she is the only one out of their immediate family he trusts but she steps back. Maybe her father should care for Kai for a change because god knows he never tried before.

"Call me if he passes out."

"S'kay dad, just lay me on my back, s'cool," Kai gives a bleary grin as Jo leaves to find Bonnie. Joshua looks down at his eldest son as he passes out and sighs.

* * *

Rain batters against the windows as the girls delve along tall bookcases, a game of hide and seek. The dogs sniff them out, ears pricking at the sound of their names being called, the giggles of familiar voices and scents.

"You found us!" In her blue sequined dress Amelia laughs as the husky barrels into her and Ellie hiding behind a case displaying a large black stone shaped like an egg.

"He thinks you're Lia, look how confused he is," Ellie says as the dog sniffs at Ames, licking her arm before he cocks his head repeatedly, Lia calling softly in the distance. Damon gives a low woof and then dashes away. The smaller pug rounds the corner, huffing and tongue hanging out. Amelia takes pity on Sam and picks the dog up.

"No more running for you, though you need it," she admonishes and she and Ellie walk towards the room with the hanging crystals, the game forgotten. In the dark the stones faintly catch the light but Ames can sense the energy pulsing above her.

"Is thanksgiving always like that?" she asks, hearing her sister speaking from inside the Mirror room. Ellie shrugs, smiling. She and Ames had hit it off quickly, both sharing an affinity for being the more reserved twin.

"Pretty much but I guess this year is different. I had _no_ idea we were under a curse. I didn't know about you, none of us did. It was the same for you?"

"Yup. Though we realised that over the years we had these near misses. Like I went to summer camp and Lia went there another year. So we almost had a Parent Trap re-enactment," she explains, making Ellie laugh as they enter the room, Ames dropping the dog to the floor beforehand. Her cousin gasps, stopping as they step into complete darkness. Ames guides her in.

"We beat you!" Lia proclaims, her aura now mostly purple, but as Amelia comes to her side it shifts to gold.

"Dude…Ellie you're pink! Barbie pink!" Lucy cries as her twin's aura starts to become visible.

"Oh wow! You're a kinda blotchy turquoise."

Both sets of twins crowd around each other and their arms bump and the colours blend, a marbling of many hues. They stare slack jawed at the beauty of it.

"I wanna paint this," Amelia breathes and the others nod.

"Think we can take a picture? Normal people will just think it's shopped," Lucy holds out her cell and the girls pose, their bodies in dark silhouette. Giggling in excitement they sit on the ground and stare at the pictures.

"So pretty…you're lucky you can see this all the time," Ellie bemoans, the light of the phone bathing their faces blue. They appear as colourful ghosts in the kaleidoscopic dark.

"Not as clearly as this. This is next level," Lia says as Lucy flicks through her picture gallery, stopping when they come to a picture of Joshua.

"That was awkward as hell. I overheard grandpa talking to mom a few weeks ago. She was so angry about what he did, casting the curse. He denied it at first," Ellie explains and Lia frowns.

"Denied it? He didn't do it?"

"Apparently he did, with some other Bennett witches, but he can't remember casting it, even after our memories came back."

"Mom thought he was lying, that he did it because grandpa hates uncle Kai," Lucy adds quietly and Lia and Ames lean in.

"Why does he hate him?" Ames asks but Lia shakes her head, looking angry.

"They won't tell you."

"Yes we will! We just can't tell you for some reason! It's not like we know _everything_ ," Lucy fires back defensively but Lia purses her mouth. Ames pats Lia's hand, telling her to be quiet.

"What do you know? Try to answer."

"Well…I don't know for sure. It's kinda awkward actually," Lucy says and Ellie nods. They talk to Amelia, focused on her as Lia listens in a sullen silence.

"You know why your dad looks so young right?"

"We think he was in a place like this, where time didn't move."

"He was," Lucy says and the sucks in a shocked breath. "I _can_ tell you. Whatever stops us talking to Lia doesn't work on you. He _was_ in a place like this."

"For eighteen years," Ellie adds gently and Amelia nods, anticipating this. Lia bites her lip, as if wanting to speak but keeps quiet. Whatever usually stops her cousins and the rest of her family discussing this matter seems to be gone but she does not want to jinx it.

"Why for that long? Was he stuck?" Ames asks. Ellie and Lucy look at each other nervously and their auras spike with a grey-green. Amelia leans forward, her voice gentle. "It's okay, tell us. Tell me, if it helps."

Lucy licks her lips. "He wasn't stuck but he was trapped. _On purpose_. These places were meant to be used as like safe havens originally but if you take the key away…"

"It's a prison," Lia whispers.

"That's what they're called, prison worlds. Uncle Kai was in one, they call it 1994."

"Kinda like a cell number," Ellie adds and they fall silent. Lia and Ames process this new information, shifting the pieces of old information they have to match the new. Both had danced around with the possibility that their father may have been locked up for a crime but then dismissed it. If he was a criminal they would have told them in the month they have been together, not to mention the years that Lia has lived under the same roof as him.

"It doesn't make sense. Why was he imprisoned?"

Lucy and Ellie shrug, the sickly green in their aura fading and now bleeding into the other girls. "We're not sure, only that it was something bad and grandpa and aunt Liv have never really trusted him since. Our mom says he deserves a chance, that he's been punished."

"…I don't believe it," Lia says bluntly and gets to her feet. "There's _no way_ he did anything that justified being locked up for two decades."

"We don't know the facts, this is just what we've overheard. They don't tell us anything, saying we're too young to know. I wish we could have said something but this is the first time we've been psychically able to talk about this in front of you. Maybe this place helps in some way?" Ellie suggest as Ames gets to her feet. She moves to her twin, who stands with her back to them, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her aura flashes with a blood red and streaks of grey. Anger and fear.

"There's clearly a lot that we don't know but if this is true…we gotta sit down with mom and dad and talk about it."

Her voice is soft, reasoning but Lia shakes her head and turns teary eyes to her sister. "Maybe I don't wanna know. They're right, no one has been able to talk about it, like someone put a spell on them. They can't tell me directly…but they can tell you."

"So?"

"So maybe dad put a spell on _me_?" she asks in a wavering voice. Ames pulls her into her arms, their auras flaring and merging.

"Right now we don't know enough and our imaginations are filling in the gaps. I don't think dad did anything that bad, he couldn't but if he has put a spell on you…then it must be something he's ashamed of."

"He doesn't know what the word means," Lia retorts with a weak smile and looks back at their cousins, who stand awkwardly. "Sorry, I wasn't calling you liars."

The blondes wave their hands and shrug, the colours around them flashing and pulsing. As Ellie opens her mouth to joke, her mouth stretching into a grin, she freezes. Her eyes fix on a spot in the corner of the room.

"There…there's only the four of us in here right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then who's that?" she points and the girls turn to see a faint bloom of forest green spreading over a corner of the room. The aura flashes and in the centre they see a dark shape hunched over, still and misshapen. It suddenly lifts a dark head and the girls scream and race for the exit. As they swing down the spiral stairs their screams are mixed with laughter, accusing each other of illusions and trickery, as the husky chases them into the parlour.

* * *

"Drink this," Liv waves a glass of bourbon before Bonnie's face, who takes it. She sits in the parlour with her mother, Liv and Jo. A fire flickers behind a grate and heavy rain falls outside. The girls are still exploring the library and she hopes they are having fun. She looks down at the golden liquid and grimaces.

"I think alcohol will make it worse."

"Got a baggie if you want instead?" Jo asks innocently and manages to get the first smile out of the Bennett witch since she ran from the table. Since the nightmare her emotions have been swinging from one extreme to another and the sight of Kai…

"I might take you up on that later," Bonnie gulps down the bourbon, her hands shaking as heat burns down her throat.

"What happened? Did you have a fight?"

Bonnie shakes her head, fingers gripping the glass. "Not - not really. This is…this is tough. I don't know how to talk about it, especially with you."

"Why especially us?" Liv asks, sitting on the arm of Jo's chair. Bonnie stares at her, thinking suddenly that she had been the first Parker she had ever met. She had been lying to Bonnie, and liked to flirt with her then boyfriend a little too much, but they had become friends. Her meeting this family had never been chance...

"I've been having these nightmares, only they weren't mine. Kai unknowingly transferred them to me."

"Huh, you're not meant to have nightmares here," Jo says as Ric enters the room but then turns on his heel after his wife gives him a quick signal. Girl talk, scram.

"I know but they've been happening. Last night I blocked my mind and entered his, trying to stop them. They've – they've been about the 1994 prison world, what he did to me…" she explains and they nod in silent understanding. Bonnie lowers the empty glass and grasps her mother's hand. "Last night was different. I was able to stop him but then I – I got sucked into his nightmare, his memory...I saw May 9th."

Jo's eyebrows lift. "Like…saw it?"

Bonnie nods, inhaling. "You wanted to leave, to run away but he – he threatened you. He bashed your head against the wall," she says in a shaking voice and Jo lifts a hand towards her head before she lowers it and curls it into a fist. She nods.

"All of us knew that we weren't going to merge _but_ Kai. I had this fantasy life planned out and it was the antithesis of being a witch...I had this boyfriend at the time, thought I was madly in love and wanted to elope."

"Nathan," Bonnie supplies and Jo nods, smiling faintly. "Kai beat him up."

"He did, badly. Nate still walks with a limp. He's a mechanic now…He was kind of a bad boy, really handsome…but reckless. Actually he was a little like Damon," Jo realises and laughs. "Don't tell Ric that…Anyway one night we went for a drive, we were both really high. We crashed and I broke my leg, had a bad concussion but he got out okay. I suppose I could have died…Kai snapped, tracked him down and just beat the shit out of him. He pushed him and Nate fell funny, cracked a vertebra. Pretty sure that was the first fight Kai ever had," she adds with a snort, her gaze far away.

"Kai threatened you," Bonnie says softly, pulling Jo away from her memories. Kai's twin nods, growing sober.

"I think he cared about me in his own way but I was the other piece to his puzzle. Without me he couldn't merge and if anyone got in the way of that happening…"

"He goes Michael Myers on your ass," Liv finishes. She gets up to pour herself a drink, sighing. "He completely lost it that night, he wasn't like that before, from what I remember. My memory is a little spotty."

"Trauma, it leaves gaps in your recollection," Jo adds and Liv cocks an eyebrow and swigs from a beer bottle. Lightening flickers outside, night now fallen. Jo takes a beer from her sister and looks at Bonnie with sympathy. "You saw everything?"

"Just about…I can't get it out of my head. I knew what he did, I've known for so long but really seeing their faces, hearing their voices…it hurts." That truthfully has been the the most upsetting thing. Before they had been faceless, almost mythical, but now she has seen them they are no longer unknown.

Jo smiles sadly. "You heard them? I'm kinda jealous. I – I try to remember as much as I can, the sound of Lucille singing, Joey laughing that stupid laugh." Liv makes a sudden honking noise and they laugh loudly until they are both breathless. Sighing, tears in her eyes, Jo looks at the portraits on the walls. "Elliot's eyes…Eleanor and her bee obsession," she laughs again but her smile wavers. "They're fading away."

Bonnie takes her hand, looking between the two sisters. "I'm sorry, I really am. They – they were all beautiful…and he killed them," she bares her teeth, trying to reign in her disappointment and sadness. "You-you saw what he did. How did you forgive him? How did you trust him ever again?"

Liv and Jo look at each other and the blonde shrugs and tips the bottle to Jo. "Think you better answer this one. She probably wants reassurance."

"No, I just want the truth."

Jo inhales and looks back at Bonnie. She lean forward, her startling blue eyes intense. "I spent a long time hating him, fearing him. Any mention of his name made me run a mile, scared of my own brother. I was screwed up after that, I mean we all were…but your grams helped me so much," she says with warmth and Bonnie feels it igniting in her chest. "She helped me start a new life by trying to let go of my old one. Obviously that doesn't stop ghosts from your past making visits, or twins from prison worlds," Jo takes a drink before continuing. "I hated him, I hated that even after all that time he still only cared about himself, about leadership. I was just a means to an end, like everyone he could use to achieve his goal. He got it but then everything changed."

"I don't think Kai ever anticipated gaining emotions, to feel things as deeply as Luke did. My brother's revenge," Liv says with a smirk and solutes her beer in the air to her dead twin. "The friggen irony of it, he killed for the thing that pretty much made him decide not to become leader. He chose family over coven."

"And you're okay with that? After what he did to your family?" Bonnie asks and Liv shrugs again and Bonnie can guess what her answer would be. Jo smiles, head cocking.

"I do trust him but it took a long time to get to this point. He was so...so hopeless and alone and a part of me wanted to get up and walk away, leave him to suffer but I couldn't. He wasn't the Kai I had been running from. He was and is fundamentally different. I mean he's still a headcase," she adds, making Liv smirk. "Kai…he was treated like shit for years, I ignored it which pretty much amounts to the same emotional abuse. He thought his life was worthless and any sense of hope was the merge. I think he was hoping that if he became a fully-fledged witch then no one would treat him like that again. I'm not justifying what he did, he killed half of my family in a single night and I'll probably never see them again but I suppose I have the luxury of distance. Perspective, I guess. This is all fresh and raw for you, like it happened last night...but it's been over thirty years for me. I made my peace with him."

"I know it was a long time ago, I didn't want to dredge this up for you," Bonnie says thickly and Jo pulls Bonnie to her feet and hugs her.

"I think it needs dredging. I wish I could forget that night but I don't want to forget _them_. Kai is so scared and so guilty about what he did that he's terrified that he'll lose you and the twins. That's why he put a spell on the coven not to mention what happened. It's not right and he has to do something before we forget them completely. I understand why he was a mess at dinner, for him it's been a long time but for you it must have been awful. He's upset that you're hurting."

"He's upset that I'll leave him, not that I'm a wreck," Bonnie retorts tiredly. Jo nods.

"Yep, he's probably feeling that too. Look he's not a saint or anything close to it. He's still fucked up and no we're never going to be a happy family but we're trying, he's trying. I pretty much gave up on him long before 1994 and it haunts me what could have been different if I had stood up for him...or if I had just merged with him when we were meant to. They might still be alive," her voice wavers and Bonnie can tell this guilt is a deep seated thing and has grown in the dark for many years. 

"It wasn't your fault. He was messed up in the head, a sociopath," Liv says defensively.

"I know…but if we merged on our birthday things would have been different, that's a fact. If he had help, _real_ help, then maybe..." she trails off, lost in a hypothetical past.

"He's a Parker, there's no medication or therapy on this planet or any other that can help us," Liv jokes and Jo laughs.

"Must be why I'm on my tenth shrink."

Bonnie smirks at their dark humour and sighs, feeling some of her tension draining. "Maybe talking to a professional wouldn't be a bad thing…thank you for talking about what happened."

Jo takes her hand, nodding. "It still hurts but I have such a great life now and I'm not sorry for that. I never thought I'd be married, with twins and I never dreamed Kai would be part of that. He is and it works…I can't tell you what to do, it's your relationship and life but I know he loves you and those girls. He's still a mess and you know he'll continue to be one but he'll also work hard to make it right."

"I know…it's tough. I can't breathe when he's close. I wish I could just shake it off like it was just a bad nightmare but it's not. It was decades ago but I can't get the images out of my mind. I used to say it wasn't for me to forgive, he hurt _his_ family not mine but well…"

"You're our family now," Liv says with a soft smile. "To think all those years ago at Whitmore I was meeting my future sister in law."

"Stop," Jo warns with a croaked smile as Bonnie's stomach flips over. The blonde grins, clearly drunk and slinks out of the room, hugging the black cat to her chest. Jo sighs and she and Bonnie sit. "So…what are you going to do?"

"I need time to think."

"Well lucky for you you've got plenty of it."

"That's the problem. I think I need space but we've just got back together."

"There's like a hundred rooms in this place, I'm sure Kai will understand," Jo says and Bonnie nods but is not convinced. He might give her space for her to sort through her emotions but she feels the separation will unravel him. She does not want to be the thing that saves him when right now she does not know if she can keep herself together.

Jo sees the unease on her face and cocks her head. "For nine years he thought you were dead. He was devastated, especially those early years but he kept on going. He was mourning but he lived his life, worked and had a weird little social life. I asked him to go on dates and he did it but his heart wasn't in it. You know what he told me once on the anniversary of your birthday?" she asks and Bonnie shakes her head. Jo leans forward, her lips curving. "He said that though you were dead he would wait until the heat death of the universe if it meant seeing you one last time. You mean everything to him Bonnie but I think that love is not an explosive thing you know? It won't fizzle and die just because you're not together or the opposite. It will endure."

Bonnie says nothing for a moment, taking her words in until her throat starts to tighten. "He's patient, always had been."

"Right. He'll stick with you but it's your decision either way...don't _ever_ tell him I said this, he'll be insufferable," Jo warns and Bonnie smiles. They sit back, watching the fire before Jo regards her thoughtfully. "What are your plans?"

"My plans?" Bonnie blows air out through her mouth, tapping her nails on the armrests. She focuses on the life she had left behind in Mystic Falls and feels a pang of loss. "I was teaching at Whitmore. It was because of the curse but…I loved it."

"Well there's plenty of lecturing jobs in Oregon, if you're interested. Ric could help you out," Jo suggests, getting to her feet. "I know this sucks right now but things will be better, Bonnie. Jobs and homes and everything will come, without or without my brother. One thing at a time."

Bonnie nods, feeling a tingle of hope. "Once the curse is broken."

"Yeah my dad is working overtime on that. I didn't even need to threaten him."

"He's trying to break it?" Bonnie sits up, surprised. "He doesn't want to split us up?"

"No…if you thought that then why even invite him here?" Jo asks and Bonnie sighs and gets to her feet.

"So we could curse him."

* * *

Joshua fiddles with the ring in his finger, watching Kai as he moans, waking up from his drunken stupor. He had half carried his son into the conservatory, deposing him on a couch. Joshua sits in an armchair, watching the storm battering the island through the glass.

"Ugh…I'm still alive _and_ drunk," Kai mumbles, lifting his head off the cushion. He sees the glass of mint tea that Joshua has made and sits up, hand to his head. "Thanks…" he sips it, wincing as Joshua watches him calmly.

"Your power has sway over the island. If you're…unbalanced nature reflects it," he says as thunder rumbles. Kai snorts.

"Unbalanced is a word for it. How long have I been asleep?"

"Over an hour."

"Aww were you making sure I didn't choke to death?" he grins but his father remains impassive. He leans forward, fingers threaded together.

"You know your survival is my primary concern."

"Yeah your concern is noted. That's why you want me to stay in here right?"

"Your…well being affects us all. Gemini coven leaders are expected to have a certain even temperament. To be emotionally balanced, not become overwhelmed by them. You know the dangers when leaders are not in control."

Kai laughs, nodding. "Great-great-great whatever Jacob Parker. Paranoid Schizophrenic, depressed and suicidal. Stuck him in a coma for seventy years."

"He accepted it, he knew it was in the best interest of the coven."

"And I don't get a say? Pretty sure I'm a _little_ bit more mentally stable then he was," he glares at his father who just regards him with the same calm. Kai finds it infuriating. "You're not trapping me here, or my family."

"Your family is free to go."

"Not with the curse they're not."

"I'm working on how to lift it," he says and then gets to his feet. Kai is momentarily speechless, his fuzzy brain breaking down his words slowly.

"You're trying to undo it?"

"Trying, yes."

"Tell me how?" Kai demands, trying to stand but his head swims. He sits, lowering the glass and rubs at his forehead.

"If I don't?"

"You've got until sunrise," Kai sing songs and laughs, making Joshua turn. He had hoped to see alarm on his face, quickly concealed but some sign that he has spooked his father. Joshua cocks his head and lifts up his right hand.

"A threefold ring."

"Fuck," Kai stares at the black ring on Joshua's index finger, a ring comprised of three linked bands made from obsidian. The ring absorbs any curse and sends it back to the caster three times as powerful. Kai's stomach turns over. "Give it to me."

"I knew you'd try something but it was only when I touched the carving knife the ring activated. What curse is it?" he asks curiously, ignoring Kai's outstretched hand.

"…Sleeping curse. We – we weren't sure what to do with you, nothing seemed appropriately fucked up enough so we were just gonna stick you in one the rooms until we hit on something."

"Bonnie was involved?"

"She cursed the carving knife, before this fucked situation happened. The threefold curse will target her, not me. Give me the ring or I will cut your hand off."

He wags his fingers, deadly serious and after a pause Joshua takes it off and drops it onto Kai's palm. He immediately starts siphoning the magic from it, until every last dreg of the curse is drained from the bands. He sighs, gripping the now harmless ring in his hand. Joshua sits back down, watching as Liv enters the kitchen and ladles leftovers onto her plate, the cat at her feet. He turns his attention back to Kai, who has slipped on the ring. He reaches for the hangover cure and downs it in three gulps. Lightening flickers, illuminating the conservatory in a brilliant blue light for a moment.

"What happened?" his father asks, like the last minute had not happened. Kai sighs, sitting back. He shrugs.

"She was having my nightmares, seeing my memories. She saw what I did on that night and now she can't even look at me."

Joshua lifts his eyebrows, making a noise of confirmation. "And now you think she'll go and leave you alone in this place?"

"I was without her for nine years and I didn't crack."

"You thought she was dead. You weren't alone in Astoria and you weren't in a prison world. This time it's different."

"I feel like shit but the coven is safe okay? This is my fuck up and I can't – I can't blame it on you, on a curse. This is my fault…but I don't wanna be alone, I literally won't survive it. If I'm in here with no one…" he shakes his head, eyes dry and hollow. "I killed myself so many times in that place I lost count. I did it because I was bored, mostly, but the real reason was because I literally started to believe I didn't exist. If I didn't exist then I couldn't live or die. So I tested it, over and over and over. If you don't have anyone else to talk to, to see and touch, then you start to question whether you're real. I stopped believing I was until I saw her. She was the first face I saw after eighteen years, that beautiful face…It was too good you know? But she – she was real, she was so real and that meant I was too. Bonnie saved what was left of myself and I knew, even then, that she was important to me. I didn't know how much until later but it was different from wanting to merge and win. I wanted a life because I actually had one and I wanted her in it."

He speaks without interruption, not looking at his father until he forgets he is there. He tries to hold onto that old feeling of intense self actualisation when he saw and heard and smelt Bonnie for the first time. He stops talking, his mouth curved into a sad smile and Joshua finds it difficult to look away from his son's face. Kai loves Bonnie Bennett, that is clear but there is a desperation about that love, an echo of a desire he had seen on Kai's face before.

"If you were free to leave this place but she left, took your children, what would you do?"

Panic fills Kai's eyes and thunder claps overhead, prompting his abrupt answer. "Stop them."

"To what end?"

Kai opens his mouth to answer but finds he does not have one. He shakes his head, inhales a calming breath and narrows his eyes. "To no end. Unlike you I won't trap a woman who wants out." Kai says and Joshua gets to his feet. Kai smiles before dropping it. "I'll fight for them but I know this…this needs time. I never wanted her to experience that, she wasn't ready."

"Lucky her…" Joshua looks at the orchids that bloom in the heat, back to him. Kai balls up his hands, trying to squeeze his rage away. It's remarkable that he has not cracked the room corner to corner.

"I don't want to cause my family anymore pain after what I did…and that includes you, believe it or not," he watches his father carefully for his reaction as he stills but does not turn. "You have every right not to forgive me, to hate me and I just have to deal with that. I hated you for what you did to me but I never retaliated until you split us up," he says, looking at the new ring on his hand. "I get your anger, if it had been my kids I'd burn the whole world alive if it meant those who were responsible suffered. Or lock them up for an eternity of loneliness…" he adds with a dry smile and Joshua finally turns, shaking his head.

"I never intended for you to stay imprisoned forever. You were meant to carry out a sentence that reflected every life you took."

"Four life sentences?"

"Fifty eight years," Joshua explains softly and Kai stops breathing, trying to contemplate it. If Bonnie and Damon had never appeared he would still be in that prison world. The length of isolated captivity is so terrible that he laughs.

"I'd be a basket case by the time some Bennett witch came to get me out. Christ, it would probably be Bonnie, she'd be an old lady…Almost sixty years?!"

"I was devastated. I failed to protect my family so I had to protect what I had left. You think I don't wish I could go back and make things right? Make them different?"

"You probably wish you had drowned me as a baby like they used to do with siphoners in the old days," Kai fires back. Joshua shakes his head, his calm disintegrating.

"You think I blame you solely for what happened? After that night I had no one, no family or life. I was in that big house without even their ghosts for company…If I had put my family first instead of the coven Joey, Elliot, Lucille and Eleanor would be here now."

"…You don't know that."

"I do…but I can't change what happened, as you can't. I can only make it right now. Like you. I'm sorry for separating your children from you, I know the pain of that and no one should have to suffer it."

Kai looks at his father who has never cared about him, who has never comforted him or been a father and watches him cry. Kai feels his throat tighten. He wants to reach out, to touch him but does not know how. He inhales deeply, looking away as emotions overwhelm him.

"I'm sorry for erasing their pictures. I'll undo it."

"Tell your children about them Kai. Even if it hurts, and it will, but better do it now before the consequences of your silence are too far gone for you to salvage."

Kai shakes his head, biting the inside of his cheek as he looks back. His father is dry eyed but shaking. "How can I tell them?"

Joshua shrugs, straightening his jacket. He looks aside, as Kai does. "I don't know…but talk to Bonnie, work it out before it's too late. Your grandmother is right, you'll wash the house into the sea if you let this go unspoken."

He gives Kai a lingering stare, nodding and then leaves him to sit weakly. Before he reaches the door Kai speaks up.

"The curse. How will you break it?"

"...I'm not sure. I don't - I don't remember casting it."

"What?"

"I wanted to separate them, it's true but I only considered a curse after I spoke to that man."

"What man?"

Joshua tries to remember the encounter but it feels as insubstantial as a dream. "I don't know. I just have a name and a memory of him walking away. He called himself Tom Avery."

Drunk and emotional Kai tries to sift through his recollection but the name does not appear. "Never heard of him. He was a witch?"

"Yes...and a very powerful one. I do not think I was in control that day, I don't think any of us were," Joshua explains softly and anger laces his words, self directed. Joshua Parker, the once great coven leader, had been played. He leaves this information for Kai to obsess over. The true Gemini leader watches the storm, seeing his mind and emotions reflected back at him. He closes his eyes, leaning his head back and tries to stop the commotion raging…

* * *

The girls race into the parlour, screaming and giggling and Bonnie jumps to her feet at once. Both sets of twins gasp for breath, all speaking over each other.

"There was a monster!"

"No it was a man! A man shape!"

"I still think it was a trick!"

"It wasn't an illusion!"

"Then it was mass hallucination, like in Salem. They were trippin," Ames says and Bonnie finally manages to get a word in as Kai walks over. He looks at the girls in concern and only gives her a quick glance as Liv appears.

"What's up?" she asks.

"We saw someone in the mirror room. Someone sitting on the floor," Ellie explains breathlessly.

"Uh-oh. Must be the ghost that haunts the library," Liv whispers and the girls gasp and deny it.

"There's no Other Side anymore! There's no ghosts!"

"This is a snow globe made in 1964. Maybe some souls got trapped?" Kai says and the girls continue to stare wide eyed, shocked silent. Kai grins. Fighting the need to smack him Bonnie moves towards the library.

"Stay here," she tells the girls, who nod and crowd around Jo, Ric and Eloise, who appear. Kai hesitates for a moment and then follows Bonnie. She had not spoken to him since the nightmare, though he had tried to that morning. After he would not leave she had wanted to slam the door in his face with magic but it is still blocked. She had done it the old fashioned way and he had left. Now he follows at a distance, keeping quiet.

Bonnie reaches the staircase and turns to him. "You don't have to come."

"I want to. I wasn't completely shitting them. There are stories of a ghost haunting the house. They say he got lost and was never found again. I hope it's him," he says, excited and Bonnie frowns but says nothing. There is an almost giddy quality to him, as if the alcohol has had the opposite effect. His acute distress is gone. After her talk with Jo she had come to the decision that it would be wise to at least acknowledge him, to grow comfortable in his presence again. The nightmare is an old memory, one they have lived with for a very long time and now she must. However it does not stop her wishing the whole ordeal had never happened, that she could carry on living without the horror images now smearing her brain.

"Are you going to pretend I'm not here?" he asks suddenly as they reach the mirror room. His voice is cold and Bonnie turns, anger flaring.

"Can you blame me?! I wasn't prepared for what I saw, for what you did. You scared me."

"I know…but that's not who I am now. Come on Bon, we've overcome so much to have this ruin it. You knew who I was, what I did and I'm sorry that it upset you but it doesn't change the fact that we love each other…does it?" he asks, narrowing his eyes but Bonnie turns and enters the dark mirror room. Her stomach jumps strangely and she realises that she is frightened.

"You're being strange."

"I'm a Gemini," he quips behind her as her aura flares alive slowly, orange flickering weakly through bold streaks of green and grey. Kai's, as before, is dark, taking longer to appear in the mirror. Bonnie ignores him and looks around the room as her eyes become accustomed to the dark.

"…See anything?"

"Nope…wait, what's that?" he asks and Bonnie sees a small dark shape in the corner of the room. She freezes and fear ripples over her aura. She hears Kai chuckle before he moves over and crouches down.

"I don't think dogs have auras."

"Samson," Bonnie breathes out a sigh of relief, laughing as Kai pokes the dog and the pug takes a fright and races from the room. Bonnie, her aura settling to its usual orange, grins. "The ghost dog of the Lighthouse."

"Fearsome guard of the Gemini leader and serfs."

"Serfs?" Bonnie watches his dark figure approach and tries not to step back as he comes within a few inches of her face. He does not touch her but she can feel the heat of his proximity. And his magic, an ocean compared to her now. She had made the candle flames flare at dinner but it had been unintentional. Her magic still feels walled off.

"Loyal and not so loyal followers. You know I have every intention of taking the title back from my father. You and the girls will live like royalty here."

"I'm not even sure I want to live here, let alone with a king," Bonnie admits, the darkness giving her a sense of bravery. Kai cocks his head and she has the impression that he is sticking his bottom lip out.

"Too bad…you know you're free to leave, I won't stop you."

"You won't?"

"I'd even help you pack. That's what you want right? I know you love me and everything but there's a little room in the back of your head, a room in 1994, that still fears me…with good reason. You're not entirely sure if the merge really cured my craziness or not. You wonder if one good push could send me over the edge to snapsville again. You wonder if your kids are better off away from me and these crazy Gemini. You would be, we both know it. I think the nightmares were my subconscious telling me. History repeats, right?"

Bonnie breathes in shallow gulps, her anger freezing into fear. His aura, which should be a dark blue rippling with colour, is an opaque green so dark it is almost black. She had not noticed at first, his dark aura always takes time to materialise. But gold strands do not appear, the links to the coven members gone.

_This is not Kai._

The thought whispers over her mind and it stills the storm raging inside her. Grey cracks through her own aura no matter how hard to tries to mask her fear. She holds her breath and takes a step back but he grabs her arm.

"Who are you?" she gasps and he cocks his head, Kai's features visible but bathed green.

"The guy who left you alone and drove you to the point of ending your own life?"

"The man who risked his life to save mine," Bonnie answers harshly, twisting in his grip but he does not let go. "You're not Kai!"

"Yeah…the ghost wasn't Samson the pug either," he answers and the voice is familiar but not Kai's. He smiles and Bonnie looks at his reflection as it ripples and changes. Green eyes peer at her and she yells, struggling to get free.

"Silas!"

"Bingo. God it feels good to be seen. I've been squatting here for three years, waiting," the man who looks identical to Stefan says. He grins and pulls her in close and she flinches. "Huh, something wrong with my face?"

"How – how are you here?!"

"Oh after you and your boyfriend trapped me in 1994? Well as you're aware for every spell there's a loophole. Every time the Gemini leader dies another hole is ripped into the prison worlds. I guess Kai died three years ago because suddenly I could move."

"You – you still need Bennett blood to get out."

"You're not very perceptive are you? I remember that from before…I'm still in a prison world but after he died gaps appeared in every dimension. I can move from one to another without the use of an ascendant. That's how I got out of hell, so I'm thankful to Kai for that, in a misplaced sort of way," he sighs and the power cursing through the two thousand year old witch is immense. How had she not felt him? How had Kai? Bonnie tugs her arm free but slams into his chest as she reaches the door. He laughs and pulls her upright.

"What do you want?!"

"Hmm? Oh nothing really. I wish I could say I have some big diabolical plan but I just wanna make you suffer, nothing else," he explains and Bonnie feels a tipping sensation as the words are familiar but she cannot place them. Silas lifts his hand and she tries to move but her body is frozen and her throat bulges with trapped cries for help. He places a finger to her lips and she gasps for air.

"Don't touch me."

"Trust me I have no desire to, especially as your kinda my descendent. Even being in the same room with you two was torture. You're like horny billy goats. It's gross."

Bonnie's eyes widen in understanding even as she flames with humiliation. "You – you gave me those nightmares. Why?"

"I told you. You ruined my afterlife so I'm just paying you back in kind. I thought about killing you and dragging you back into oblivion with me but it didn't seem sufficient. Your grandmother says hi by the way."

"W-what?"

"Oh you didn't think she moved onto some comfy afterlife did you? She was meant to go to 1994 when the other side collapsed but she traded it for you. Nope, she's in the dark. She might be able to crawl her way out, like I did, if that helps?" he asks with mock concern. Bonnie shakes her head, eyes closed tight.

"I'm not - I'm not listening to you."

"You don't need to believe me. You'll experience that emotional torture for yourselves one day. Though Kai will have it _much_ worse...but before that can happen I have to give you something juicy to take with you. I'm gonna burn your life down to nothing by the end."

Bonnie's eyes fly open, the pieces clicking together. "Did you create the curse?"

"Oh…maybe? There's time travel involved so yeah, maybe it was…or will be," he hums in consideration, pacing back and forth. "I could wait until your kids are old enough to merge and then go back in time with the winner. Get her killed by her own father and make Joshua Parker cast the curse, with help from your family," as he talks he becomes more animated, excited by the idea. Bonnie feels like she will be sick, why did she even voice the idea?

"Please…"

"What?" he snaps and grins. "Show mercy? Bygones? Do you have any idea what oblivion is like? The Other Side, the prison worlds, are Elysium in comparison. So I guess I do have a little amendment to this plan: fuck your life up and make sure I never go back to that hellhole."

"You're - you're mortal, you'll die one day."

Silas smiles, moving closer to her, his anger gone. "I _was_ dead but as soon as I passed over into 1994 I was inexplicably alive. Weird huh but I figured it out. You had the same thing happen to you and Damon. Wanna know how you came back to the retro land of the living?" he smiles, toying with her and lifts his hand to caress her face. Bonnie snaps her head back but he grabs her still.

"Get off me you freak."

"You really don't like this face do you? Or rather you like it too much. Hmm…is this better?" he asks and shifts back to Kai. Bonnie closes her eyes as he leans close, his lips hovering over hers. "Or maybe this one? I liked this one," a soothing voice says and it is not Silas, or Kai's voice that has made her stomach turn to ice as it does now.

"Not him."

"Come on, he had that whole sexy-creepy professor thing going on. I know you dug it," he says and Bonnie opens her eyes. Atticus Shane smiles at her, his wide set green eyes peering at her with that almost hypnotic regard.

"Fuck you! Fuck you!" Bonnie breathes heavily, fighting to run and Silas laughs, leaning back.

"Oh definitely sticking with this face. Okay witch this is how it's going to play out. I'm going to let you go and once I'm out of your sight you're going to forget all about this. I'll give Papa Parker a little nudge and he'll break the curse and you'll be free. I'll leave you in peace for a few years…but once they're of age I'm coming for one of your daughters. Like a reverse Rumpelstiltskin, only I don't want gold."

"If you _dare_ oblivion will be nothing to what I'll do to you."

"Well if this whole time loop thing is true then it looks like you fail so whatever."

"Then where are you?! Amelia - she came back from the future but where are you?" Silas stops smiling and his eyes narrow. Bonnie gives him a sharp smile. "I _will_ kill you. I'll take you down even if it kills me."

Silas is still before he smirks. "Okay, on second thought you are going to remember something: Kai telling you to pack your things, it's not worth it because you both know one day he'll just ruin your life. You're better off without him. Leave. In this case maybe the coven should come first and you second. Yeah, chew on that for a few hours, _walk on it_ ," his words seep into her mind, hearing Kai's voice, seeing his face and she forgets who is truly speaking. Silas smiles and disappears suddenly. The paralysis over Bonnie snaps and she reels, drawing on magic that will not answer to her need. Bonnie cries out and runs from the room.

In the dark of the library she chases Silas, catching sight of him between bookcases and tables, always out of reach. He flickers in and out of shadows, making her turn in dizzying circles, clawing at magic inside her that will not respond. If she loses him she will forget and there will be nothing to stop him quietly destroying her life.

"No!" she yells, reaching out her hand and her fingers catch at the back of Kai's shirt. He turns sharply and she stumbles, hitting a wall.

"Bonnie?"

"…Kai?" she frowns, heart pounding against her ribs and seeing the concern in his eyes she acts without thinking. He catches her in his arms, pulling her in tight.

"Why are you still here?" he asks and Bonnie freezes. He pulls back, concern shifting into confusion. "You said you'd be gone before morning."

"I…You want me to go?"

"Obviously," his lips curl and Bonnie jerks back, confusion blasting away. He grabs her arm and his face morphs into that of Shane, his gimlet green eyes glowing in the half light. "I'm the most powerful witch on this planet, or any planet, I can toy with your mind in my sleep Bonnie."

"Kai!" she shouts, fingers digging into Silas' arm, wishing she could pin him to the ground. She needs help, she needs Kai and her family. Silas pouts, cocking his head.

"He can't hear you. You know why? Cause all this is happening in your head," he taps her temple and fades away into nothing. Bonnie unbalances and hits the wall as her mind goes dark, all thought and memory sucked into a void. She watches a figure running away from her and the last thought she has before she blacks out is that this nightmare is real and the running man was never Kai.

* * *

As soft morning light spills along a long, unfamiliar corridor Bonnie comes to her senses and stops. Her legs ache and her bare feet are cold. She is still in her thanksgiving dress. Her stomach rumbles in the quiet of the wing, her throat dry with thirst.

"I didn't eat anything…" she mutters, staring at her shadow on the wall and tries to remember why she is alone and why she feels so exhausted. She had fought with Kai, he had told her to leave, she was better off without him and he had to focus on the coven. She is a distraction…

"She can't have just vanished," a familiar voice says from far away and Bonnie looks up to see Kai and her mother appearing at the end of the corridor. When they see her Kai stiffens while Abby deflates with relief.

"Thank god. Where have you _been_?" Abby asks but Bonnie ignores her, eyeing Kai warily as he quickly comes forward. He still wears his rumpled suit from the meal but her mother is in a dressing robe. Bonnie looks at the sunlight spilling over her body and lifts a hand to her forehead.

"What time is it?"

"The sun just rose. Bon…where have you been?" Kai asks gently, a few feet away and Bonnie backs up, her heart racing.

"Don't…" she warns and he stills, jaw clenching. His hair is a mess, his eyes red raw and her mother looks just as tired. Kai's harsh words, to go before he ruined her life, rings her mind, along with the hazy memory of him flinging her clothes into a suitcase. Even drunk how could he do such a thing? Bonnie bites the inside of her cheek, upset and confused.

"We couldn't find you. We searched everywhere but it was like you had disappeared," Abby says, moving closer and Bonnie instantly leans against her.

"I – I was looking for someone."

"Who?" Kai asks softly but Bonnie shakes her head, confused and scared, which just makes her angry. Why can't she remember?

"I – I must have been sleep walking."

"The whole night? I couldn't locate you at all, like you were cloaked from me. I – I thought you had left," Kai says and Bonnie snaps her eyes to his.

"I don't know why you look upset," she says and brushes past him. He touches her shoulder, unable to stop himself and she tugs herself forward and almost falls. She is exhausted, her muscles stiff and weak. Has she really been walking - _running_ \- around for hours on end without stopping? She leans against the wall, head spinning. She feels like she is having a hypo.

"She hasn't slept, she's exhausted," she hears Abby whisper and she nods, desperately wanting to rationalise what she cannot explain. She hears a clattering of feet and two sets of twins appear, looking wide eyed and wearing pyjamas.

"Mom!" Amelia yells, coming forward with Lia, their cousins hanging back. "Where the heck have you been?"

"We thought you were taking the hide and seek game to extremes!"

"You definitely won," Lia says, smiling but she touches her mother to reassure herself that she is there. They must have been worried that she left without a word. A clamp grips her chest and Bonnie fights not to cry. Bewildered and unable to think straight, Abby comes to the rescue and ushers the girls away, after they hug and kiss Bonnie good morning. Now alone with Kai she remains by the wall, eyes closed. Her head thumps and her legs shake so when she feels his fingertips on her shoulder she does not pull away.

"There's a bedroom through there," he says quietly and she nods and lets him steer her towards the door and into the room. So tired she takes in no detail but crawls into the bed, her stiff limbs protesting at first but then her body becomes infused with a thick heaviness and she sinks into the mattress. Kai brushes a curl of hair away from her cheek and she makes a grumbling noise before sleep claims her.

"You're okay, you're here…" he sighs and collapses into an armchair by the bed, staring into space before placing his hands over his face.


	26. Chapter 26

He sets the tray down, which he has filled with leftovers, and sweeps his eyes over the empty bed. Bonnie has been asleep for hours and he has managed to rest but fitfully. He had been searching the house for most of the night and into the morning after Abby told him Bonnie had not come back from the library. The girls had spotted something and Bonnie had gone off alone to investigate.

He hears the shower turning off and sits when she exits the bathroom. Making himself smaller is a conscious decision. He has not forgotten the way she flinched at his touch that morning. Bonnie pauses when she sees him, adjusting the towel around her damp body before moving to the wardrobe.

"Have they gone? Jo and the others?" she asks, back to him.

"…No, they wanted to say goodbye to you, make sure you were okay," he explains as she pulls a robe off a hanger. She hesitates for a moment before letting the towel fall to her feet. The tattoo on her back glimmers like gold in the sunlight, the strange cogs and chains rippling as she quickly slips on the robe and belts it. Kai exhales as she turns.

"You didn't ask them to wait for me?" she says, jaw clenched as she picks up the towel. Kai frowns, leaning forward.

"What do you mean?"

"To go with them. That's what you said to me last night," she casts him a hard look but he can see the hurt she is trying to hide. Kai gets to his feet, confused.

"I never said that."

"Can't remember? I'm not surprised, you were completely wasted. Nice way to spend thanksgiving with your kids by the way," she adds bitterly and a flood of needling guilt washes over him. Knowing that he cannot defend his drinking he targets the only thing he can. Bonnie stalks into the bathroom and he followers her.

"I never told you to leave Bonnie. I never would. You said that when we found you this morning," he adds, remembering.

She looks at him in the foggy mirror. "You never said I was better off without you? That you couldn't lead your coven because you would always put me first? I'm a liability."

Kai lifts his hands, utterly bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about? I never said that."

"Really? You think I'm making it up? You started packing my things away in a suitcase. That's when I left our room."

"No. The last time I saw you was in the dining room. You ran out. I – I drank myself unconscious – which I'm not proud of okay? After the nightmare I've been a fucking mess…" he inhales deeply, looking away to collect himself before focusing on Bonnie. "Your mom said you went to the library to look for a ghost or something the girls saw. You didn't come back. She woke me up in the conservatory and we looked everywhere for you. I can sense everyone on this island but you were gone. I thought you had left and despite what you're saying _I don't want you to go_."

Bonnie turns, blinking in confusion. The rigid anger in her body begins to loosen as she stares at his upset but honest face. "…it was Samson, they saw my dog," she rubs at her forehead, trying to think. "After that I went to our room and we had a fight. You – you said I don't love you enough."

"I never said that."

"But you think it," she whispers and this time Kai does not deny it. That he loves her more is something that neither has voiced but Kai knows it to be true. Her love for him has never come easy and took a long time for her to accept it, let alone act on it. He sighs and gives her a small smile.

"It's true I love you to a dangerous degree but measuring what _you_ feel for me has never mattered. I don't – I don't think people have it balanced or in equilibrium and if they did how fucking boring," he says and manages to get a smirk from her as she leans against the counter. Sunlight spills through the window, the storm over. He moves closer, head tilting. "Feelings change and grow right? And even if they don't you're here, that's all that matters."

"…What if I wanted to go?"

"I'd try to convince you not to but…it's your choice," he admits with difficulty and she nods, mouth pressing together. Kai regards her intensely. "I'd do what you wanted but I won't give up. We've been parted for too long and I want – I _need_ you. I know the nightmare, my memory, was too much. You had no warning or choice and I'm sorry. I didn't want you to experience that night."

Bonnie bites the inside of her cheek, looking aside as he stops inches form her. The bathroom is warm and vapour hangs in the air. He watches water dripping from her hair and down her neck. He wants to touch her, to wipe off every drop of water with the most gentle, reverent attention but he slips his hands in his pockets as she crosses her arms over her chest, looking back at him.

"You didn't tell me to go?"

"No, I promise. You said earlier that you might have been sleepwalking. Maybe you dreamt that I told you to go?"

"…Maybe. Was – was I really running around for hours?"

Kai nods with worry. "I think so. You were exhausted; you just slept for hours."

"I'm _starving_ ," she says and Kai motions at the tray of food in the room beyond. He watches her as she sits on the bed, the tray next to her knee. He sits in the armchair as she bites into a toasted turkey sandwich, making deep noises of bliss. He smiles.

"There's plenty more. I'm making Jo and the others take as much as can fit in their cars."

"Late night stress baking?" she asks shrewdly, looking at the pastries on the tray.

"Something like that…" he gives a sheepish smile but she had hit on it exactly. After the nightmare he could not control his emotions, whipping the weather into frenzy as he ravaged the pantry. It was waiting for the pies and cakes to bake that he had fallen into a bottle of gin. He can make a mean martini. His hangover is not as monstrous as it could be, thanks to his father, but it still feels like someone chewed his brain up and then kindly put it back.

Bonnie sips on sweet tea, eyes fixed on the tray below. When she does look at him it's fleeting, not wanting to catch his eye for too long. He inhales deep, calming breaths and reaches over to take a pancake. Bonnie touches the back of his hand and he stills.

"I'm not leaving, I want you to know that…but I need to sleep."

"I think the nightmares are over. I still don't understand how it happened but I'll make sure to ward them more carefully," he says and she nods, looking down at his hand. Her fingertips brush over his rings.

"It's not your nightmares I'm worried about anymore," she replies softly, looking up and Kai feels his stomach tighten. Those sights and sounds will haunt her for years. Selfishly he wishes that she had been present thirty years before, at least it would not be so fresh and she would have had that time to move on.

"…I wish I could take it back, wipe them from your mind…there's nothing about me you don't see now, I'm completely wide open and I know it's hard to look at."

"It's one thing knowing and another witnessing. I've seen people die horribly, lots of times and I thought I was kinda…desensitised to it. I can't close my eyes without seeing it but I'm…" she trails off, struggling to speak. She looks uncomfortable, almost guilty.

"What?"

"It's weird but I don't want to be numb to it, like it doesn't matter. It does. I know you wish you could go back and change what happened, I know it hurts you. I think it's why you never went back to Portland after you won the merge. You didn't think you deserved to. You couldn't face your family after what happened. I believe you're honest about how much it hurts but that doesn't change how I feel now. I'm not – I'm not gonna push my pain aside to make you feel better cause you can't handle it."

"Handle it?" he manages to laugh. "Yeah my dad thinks I'm one spat away from throwing myself in the sea and taking the coven with me. I'm not, okay? I'll re-enact _The Tempest_ and ruin thanksgiving but I'm not expecting you to push your feelings aside for my sake or manage mine like I'm a five year old."

"Reached another milestone while I was away?" she asks with a tired amusement.

"I'm totally pubescent now."

"Explains everything," she smirks, looking at him with a tenderness that makes his breath catch. He leans up, eyes flicking down to her mouth but Bonnie turns her cheek to look at the window. "Is this room close to you?"

"…No. This is the south wing. You're on the seventh floor, in one of the guest apartments."

"I'll stay here for now," she says softly and Kai nods, his jaw clenched as he swallows his disappointment. He wants to persuade her to come back to their room, to face him even if it hurts but he knows she is seeing a younger version of him every time she stares for too long. It's why she keeps looking away.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie. The person you saw he – he was me. I did those things, I killed them and nothing I can say can excuse it…but I'm not the same. I used to be proud of feeling nothing for others, to be free of guilt and commitments and maybe I don't feel as deeply as others about things but I _do_ feel. It's like what you said, in a weird way feeling pain is a good thing. I wasn't like a person before, there were human beings and there was me above it all. I'm not like that anymore. What did you say to Damon once? Feeling remorse means there's hope?"

Bonnie smirks in remembrance. "He made guilt pancakes."

"Which sucked," he quips before growing serious. "I've been thinking about this all night…I'm going to tell the girls. I never wanted it to come to this but I have to tell them before someone else does. I don't want what happened to you to happen to them. This way I can manage how they find out."

Bonnie stiffens, holding her breath before speaking. "There's no gentle way to break this to them. You lost your mind and slaughtered your family, _children_. It'll crush them. They – they might never speak to you again."

Kai nods, eyes glossy and bites his lower lip. "I know…I felt no remorse in that prison world, they couldn't punish me like that. But the girls…they'll probably hate me for decades right? Eighteen years of emotional torture to make up for," he smirks with no humour, tears in his eyes.

"This is not about you. I know you feel morally obliged to lift the spell hiding your siblings from your coven, I thought it was the right thing to do too but now…" she shakes her head, nostrils flaring. "I'm sorry it hurts your sisters but my children come first. They can never know that you were capable of something so terrible."

Kai leans back from her intense stare. He has been telling himself the same thing, to keep his secrets to spare his children but if the last nine years has taught him anything it's that any control he thinks he has over his life is an illusion. He could say nothing but fate will lend a helping hand in fucking up his life. He will cause pain, whether he wants to or not, but at least now he has some choice in the matter.

He gets on his knees by the bed. "I'm terrified of what will happen. I know it'll change everything and I'll probably lose them. I don't want that…but I have a bad feeling. They're gonna find out, I can feel it. If it comes from me, from both of us, than we can have some say in how we tell them."

Bonnie tilts her head, the food forgotten. She narrows her eyes suspiciously. "I won't help you. This doesn't sound like you, you'd never risk losing them," she says and suddenly gets to her feet. Surprised he remains on his knees looking up at her. "Is this another nightmare?"

"No? Bonnie…" he gets on his feet, concerned as she backs up. "I'm trying to do the right thing, I think," he blinks in confusion. A laden feeling of impending doom wars against the voice screaming in his head to keep his mouth shut. "You're awake, we're both awake."

She shakes her head and goes to the window. She looks down at the sodden and windswept garden and then at the beach. Their children comb the beach for flotsam, their cousins helping.

"Not dreaming…" she sighs, body slumping and Kai wants to fold her into his arms but moves away as she sits back down on the bed. She looks at him with hooded eyes. "Nightmare or not you tell them anything you'll regret it."

Kai inhales sharply, caught in her cold hard gaze and can only nod. Heart racing he leaves her as she crawls back into bed. An image plagues him, the image of her unreachable magic frozen into a spear that runs up her body. She would hurl the only thing at her disposal if he dared utter the truth. He walks to his room, tired and drained, and freezes. A suitcase sits on the bed. Kai looks around the room, frowning heavily. He had not slept in their room last night, he had been searching for Bonnie. He moves forward and after hesitating he flips open the case. Bonnie's clothes are crammed inside, like someone threw them in a hurry. He stares down, his bewilderment turning into rage.

"What the fuck..?"

Bonnie had accused him of packing her things, ordering her to leave but he had denied it. He had not touched her things. She had been sleepwalking for hours and dreamt up their argument, another nightmare. Had she come to their room while he was gone and stuffed her clothes into the suitcase, sleepwalking the entire time? Kai grips the case, the sides digging into his palms, before he starts unpacking her clothes and folds them away into drawers. Half an hour later he enters the kitchen and finds his twin there. She had waited, wanting to say goodbye to Bonnie but he doubts she is up for that. Jo's smile fades when she sees the lost look on his face and stands.

"What's wrong?"

"She's…she's losing it. I don't know what to do. What do I do?"

Jo ushers Kai to a chair and sits beside him. She listens in silence as he explains what has happened over the last week, fear and confusion flashing over his face as he speaks. Jo listens and comforts but she is just as confused as Kai. It just seems like bad luck to her.

"It'll pass Kai. Her subconscious is working overtime but dreams fade. Maybe it's something that needed to be aired? Give her time. Be patient and listen."

Kai nods, hardly hearing as Jo tells him to watch his health condition, taking a sample of his blood to analyse before Ric and the other guests enter the kitchen, carrying bags and coats. Time to go.

Kai stares at his grandmother, who has kept to herself since being on the island. He knows she is dying, everyone knows it and as his twins come into the kitchen with Joshua and the ascendant a plan forms in his head. Even if the curse is broken all covens see his children as an imbalance, one that has to be corrected. If they dare cross him again he will start a war, one that they will not survive. Nature demands balance so he will give it to her. It turns his stomach but that old coldness seeps through him, steeling into resolve. If it keeps his family safe he will do anything.

He helps his grandmother on with her coat, smiling and agrees that Lia and Ames can visit her. It'll be the least he can do.

* * *

The twins walk back from the gate with Kai, the dogs racing up ahead. They had just said goodbye to their family, including Abby who is heading back to Carolina to check on their uncle Jaime. They had wanted to say goodbye to their mother but she is still resting. Their father has been quiet but overly cheerful when responding to their question and concerns. Lia looks at Ames behind Kai's back and they share a knowing look.

_He's weirder than usual._

_I feel like he wants to say something but chickens out._

They nod at this silent exchange and hang back as Kai reaches the veranda, which is covered in pink trailing roses and fading wisteria. The storm has passed but a thin layer of cloud covers the sky, patches of blue breaking through. Like the story of their mother sleepwalking for an entire night he has also brushed off their questions about his drunken state the day before. Whatever the reason he is clearly embarrassed by it.

"The reset will be tomorrow at midnight," he says, looking upwards.

"Will there be a celestial event? I was talking to Granny P and she said originally it was the full moon but she managed to push it back to something else." Eloise was sad to leave but if she stayed for the reset the last month of her life would be wiped away from her mind. It was the price for tampering with the original spell.

Kai nods, smiling as the husky rubs against his legs. "There will be one but I don't want to spoil it. It happens just before the reset."

"And then it'll be the end of May again. Will we be here for Christmas?" Ames asks, thinking of Mystic Falls and her friends that she has left behind. Granny had to tell her high school that she had moved across the country. Her mother's job is also in jeopardy, with Bonnie's assistant taking over her classes. Their old lives are in disarray.

Kai hesitates before shrugging. "Hopefully not. We're gathering a bunch of siphoners who will drain the curse. Your grandfather thinks he knows what the binding agent is. If he finds it and destroys it the curse should be easy to drain," they nod, relieved and turn as one towards the grounds. They sense Bonnie moving through the garden.

"She's up!"

Kai glances back, a frown forming as the girls run to Bonnie. He does not follow, instead walking into the house with the dogs. Whatever happened between them he is keeping his distance but the girls can sense his discomfort, it clouds the air like smoke.

They find Bonnie looking at the white oak tree, which had manged to withstand the storm. Some trees had been uprooted or cracked in half and the beach is littered with branches and seaweed. As they come closer they see the oak did not go unscathed. A huge branch lies in the grass, the end cracked and sooty.

"Lightening must have struck it," Bonnie says as she puts her arms around her children, pulling them to her sides. They stare between the branch and their mother with worry.

"Is it over?" Lia asks.

"The storm? Yeah I think so."

"I mean what's happening with you and dad," Lia says, turning to look at Bonnie. "We thought you had left because of the fight you had."

"Yeah, we couldn't locate you at all."

"I didn't go, I was in the house. I must have been sleepwalking," Bonnie says, nodding to herself and then smiles at the twins weakly. "I'd _never_ leave you, ever."

"Only under duress and curses," Ames answers dryly but she looks worried. "I still meant what I said at thanksgiving, you should make up with him. You're miserable and it makes us feel crappy. I know people have arguments but we've only been together for a month and you're already doing the silent treatment."

"And then you disappeared. Dad was so worried he had driven you away. We overheard him say that when we woke up," Lia adds and Ames nods.

Bonnie looks at them intently, sees the stress on their faces and pulls them back into her arms. "I know you're worried about being separated again but it's not gonna happen. Me and Kai…we have things to work out okay? No relationship is perfect but it's not your fault. At all. We all want to be together, I want nothing else."

They girls nod, inhaling a calming breath and pull back. Ames narrows her eyes in thought and Lia stiffens, casting her a swift look but Ames speaks her mind. "Ellie and Lucy told us something about dad."

"Don't," Lia warns but Ames ignores her.

"Told you what?" Bonnie flicks her gaze between them, mouth thinning. The aura around their mother is weak in the light but they can see grey spikes running through it. Despite her reassuring words she is frightened and deeply confused. Ames rubs Bonnie's arm, staring at her and then shakes her head.

"It's okay. We can talk about it another day."

"Yeah it's nothing. I think they were lying or misheard anyway. It's nothing," Lia repeats and pulls Ames away from Bonnie, who stares between them carefully, her hands clasping theirs.

"You know if you're worried about anything you can tell me. Even if it's about him."

"Dad?" Lia asks and smiles. "I'm worried that he's gonna eat _all_ the leftovers before we get back. Come on!" she pulls her sister and mother forward, forcefully cheerful and Bonnie smiles after a pause, ringing her arm around Lia's shoulders. Ames is last to follow, staring at the broken branch. She shrugs.

"…Guess we can make that tree house now."

* * *

They eat leftovers before the old TV set in Kai's apartment, which only displays programs from June 1964. After a month the novelty has worn off and the girls ask to be excused, yawning. Kai watches them leave, Mr Cuddles following. Kai lies stretched out on the couch, his husky lying over his chest. He strokes the dog's fur, watching Bonnie as she uses a sleeping Samson as a foot stall. She had been giving him a belly rub before the pug fell asleep. He snores quietly. Bonnie sits in an armchair furthest from Kai but at least she is in the same room. He switches off the TV and motions at the stereo, switching it on. _Then He Kissed Me_ by The Crystals.

" _Phasmatos Incendia_ ," Bonnie chants, her hand hovering over a candle placed on the armrest. No flame appears and she sighs. "I can feel it but it's just out of reach. I'm too tense."

He wants to give her a massage but he is not sure how she will respond to that. "You've got an emotional block. The crystals should help, if you stay in there for a few hours and meditate," he suggests instead and she nods, eyes focused on the candle. Guilt squirms in the pit of his stomach. It is his fault she cannot access her magic, the memory of May 9th blocking her. "…I'm sorry."

"Please stop apologising," she murmurs, looking up from the wick briefly. "I know you are. It is what it is. Unlike you my emotions can block magic like mud."

"Unlike me?" he frowns, trying to sit up. The husky makes a yapping noise of protest but jumps down onto the floor. Kai sits up and gazes at Bonnie. "I do feel things."

"I know but you've never been blocked before, even after the merge. I guess being an innate siphoner helps. You can take magic no matter what."

"Hardly. We can get blocked, in fact it's one of the common problems. Being told that you're a freak of nature kinda knocks the self-esteem."

"But you never had that problem?" she asks with narrowed eyes. She knows him too well.

"I could always siphon and no I didn't get blocked but I wasn't born with no emotions okay," he manages to give an awkward laugh. He moves to sit at the end of the couch, closer to her. "Being told you're useless and different from everyone, to keep it secret and not to touch…not being held or whatever sucked. I was a kid," he shrugs, uncomfortable but she is finally looking at him. The cold distance she has been projecting starts melting as she tilts her head with pity.

"I'm sorry. No one touched you as a baby?"

He shakes his head. "I manifested late. Before that happened things were good, from what I remember, _I_ was normal. I was almost three when I started to siphon. My mom fell asleep with me in her arms and I drained her. She almost died. She never touched me for too long after that and then she stopped completely after I almost did the same thing to Jo. I was six when things got bad, when I did…" he loses focus as he speaks, mind in the past. It hurts to talk about his mother, who he feels a confusing mix of love and reproach for. She was the first to call him an abomination, after a rare but furious outburst. She had feared Jo would not wake up, he and Elliot sitting in the waiting room of the hospital as she become more and more distraught. She had been pregnant with Lucile and his father had been out of town. He stayed with his grandmother for three months after that.

"I'm sorry you went through that. No kid should. I – I understand being left alone," Bonnie utters with difficulty and he nods.

"I know...At least you made it up with your mom."

She smiles, nodding. "We're in a really good place...I just wish things had been different."

They fall into a heavy silence, both occupied with similar losses and wishes. They turn their thoughts to their children, who have experienced their own traumas and separations. Kai leans closer to Bonnie, eyes intense.

"I know you're scared that you'll lose them again but I won't let that happen. We were meant to come here years ago, to start over and be safe."

"I don't feel safe," she admits and Kai leans back a little. Bonnie licks her lips. "I don't want them to know what you did…but I know one day they'll find out anyway because they'll dig. That's just who they are. They're smart and they know we're withholding. I want to spare them that pain, at least until they're older but I don't think we have that long. Today they said they knew something about you and they were nervous, Lia especially."

"Knew what?" he leans forward again, heart racing.

"Something that Ellie and Lucy told them. Ames was curious, of course, but Lia practically ran away. You said you put a spell on your coven not to mention what you did but maybe it's different in here?" she looks around the room, which flickers with candlelight. _All I Have To Do is Dream_ finishes playing softly in the corner of the room before _Dream Lover_ by Bobby Darin begins.

"I put a spell on Lia, which then affected the other coven members who come into contact with her…but not Ames," he holds his breath, thinking out of the two Amelia would pursue it even if Lia dropped it. Ames has been quietly understanding and patient with him, especially after what happened with Gemima, but he doubts she will be able to accept this with a similar empathy. Her father was a serial killer. There's no justifying that, as much as he wishes he could.

Kai groans and rubs at his face as Bonnie gets up from the chair, carefully stepping over the sleeping dogs. She looks out of the dark window before turning. "Once the curse is lifted and I'm feeling…more myself we'll talk about what to tell them," she says and looks at him with a muted guilt. "I shouldn't have threatened you earlier. I was scared. I'm feeling really messed up."

"I know," Kai stands and moves to her. He wants to pull her into his arms and fall asleep but there is still a wall around her, no matter how thin. It will come down and he has to be patient but it still hurts.

"If they're able to break the curse and we can leave what happens then?" she asks quietly, looking nervous.

"Well I don't know about you but I had eighteen years of celebrating Christmas during a hot spring day. I want cold and presents and fairy-lights and snowmen."

Bonnie smirks at him. "Just not the 1903 kind."

"Right," he smiles, moving closer and she tilts her face up to him, mouth curved. Kai looks at her deeply. "What do you want when we leave?"

"…I don't know."

"I think you'll like Astoria. It's where they filmed The Goonies."

Bonnie snorts. "Of course that's why you moved there."

"Blame Jo, she moved first," he smirks, continuing to gaze at her warmly. "So what do you think? It's only an hour away from here."

Bonnie stares at him, saying nothing before she cocks an eyebrow. "But three thousand miles away from my home and job."

"Your fake curse job and fake curse home you mean? Along with your fake curse friendships," he says and winces as her smile drops. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah you did. The curse did orchestrate our lives but it wasn't fake to me. Was the nine years you had with Lia unreal?"

"Of course not. That's different, the curse didn't make us feel different."

"Right so what I feel about my life there is real. Why do I have to come to a place I don't know? Why don't you come back with me?"

Kai blinks and has to stop himself blurting out the truth. He had avoided going to Mystic Falls and Whitmore over the years, places where he had left a number of bodies in his wake, including Luke. The place holds too many ghosts, as does his old family home. He has never stepped foot in it.

"I don't wanna go back there because I'm a coward, all right? It reminds me of all the awful shit I did to you in 1994 and what I did when I got out. Maybe it's selfish but I want to stay in Portland."

"There's ghosts here too."

"I know but these ones I think I can do something about. I killed to become the leader of my coven and once we leave this island I'm not gonna run from it anymore. Liv once said I had to choose and I chose Lia. I still choose her and Ames and you but I have to try this. Before it was like a reward, a right but not anymore. It's a duty. If I fuck it up it's on me but I want to feel that all the pain I've caused can be rectified in some way. I want to do better, to make my coven strong and safe. I want them to trust me."

"You want to prove yourself," she whispers in understanding and he inhales, jaw clenching.

"I don't know how else to make it right."

She smiles weakly and touches his cheek, making him freeze. "I think it's a good thing what you want to do…but I don't know if I want to live here."

He takes her hand. "Just – just make it to Christmas? We'll do all the serious adulting stuff after that okay? This was meant to be a respite."

Bonnie snorts. "Some rest...okay," she sighs as he squeezes her fingers. "Christmas in Portland and then we'll see what comes after."

"Thank you," he smiles, gaze caught in hers. He feels on edge, tip toeing around something that will break and explode. He wants to grab her and face the consequences. He can and will.

"I'm going to bed," she says quietly and steps back but Kai's hand tightens.

"I've put like a billion wards around our bed _and_ I took something that suppresses dreams. I think it's safe. I'm safe."

Bonnie looks at the bedroom for a long time before shaking her head. She speaks gently. "Even if you warded it I don't think I would be able to sleep. It's not you this time, it's me. I'll sleep in the other room…but can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Check up on me. The only time I've sleepwalked like that before was when someone was possessing me."

"Bon, no one is possessing you. I can sense everything on this island, even the animals. There's no one else, I promise."

He grips her shoulders and she gazes at him, not agreeing but she gives him a small smile. "I'm gonna lock my door anyway. Just…check, okay?"

"I will…Can I kiss you goodnight?" he asks and she smiles at his nerviness. She tilts her cheek upwards in answer and Kai presses his mouth to the corner of her lips. "Love you," he murmurs, face pressed to hers and she closes her eyes.

"…I love you too. I'll see you in the morning," she moves back and the loss of her is painful. He watches her walk out, the stereo silent and after a pause he pokes the husky awake and orders the dog to follow Bonnie. Kai sits in the armchair and stares at the sleeping pug, waiting until he is sure that Bonnie is in her room before standing. Two guard dogs are better than one.

* * *

She runs into the caves, the eclipse commencing overhead. He pursues her but she has the ascendant, the spell and the celestial event to get out and leave him behind. The cavern is dark but the beam of light shining down guides her way. She drops her teddy bear and reaches into her pocket for the relic, pulling it out.

"…Help me."

Bonnie freezes, the sharp end of the 1994 ascendant cutting into her palm. Had someone spoken? She looks around and up, staring at the eclipse. She does not have much time. She draws the metal across her skin, cutting herself and hisses with pain. Blood drips onto the device and splashes on her boots and teddy bear.

"Bonnie? Help me…"

"…Grams?" Bonnie stands frozen, her grandmother's voice echoing around her. She hears a choked noise and spins around, dropping the ascendant. "Grams?!"

"It's so…dark…so lonely. Help me, get me out."

"Oh my god," Bonnie clutches at her bloody hands, panicked tears covering her eyes. "Where are you?" she yells, forgetting the eclipse and the man who hunts her. She has to find her grandmother, she has to save her. "Speak to me! Where are you?"

"…Hell."

Bonnie inhales sharply, the word like a sword through her chest. A small hole in the bottom of the rocky wall catches her eye and she drops to her knees. A low wail blows through the crack, just big enough to crawl through. The air smells odd, sickly sweet and cloying. The hole is small and dark, darker than the cavern. There is no way to know how deep it is.

"Grams? Are in there? Oh god, please speak to me. I'm gonna get you out!"

"Please…please help me," her grandmother's voice is faint, drifting away and Bonnie sobs and begins crawling forward. The darkness is total and she is frightened, more frightened than she has ever been but she keeps shuffling forward. As her shoulders squeeze into the hole something suddenly clamps around her hips and drags her out.

"What are you doing?!"

Bonnie screams and attacks blindly but the man rings his arms round her waist before overbalancing and falling to the floor. She turns over and stares down at Kai, at the man who shot her with an arrow, who stabbed her and left her alone and screams in his face.

"Bonnie!" Kai yells, struggling under her as she screams and pounds on his chest with her fists. He had sat crossed legged outside her room, the husky lying guard across the door but he had fallen asleep and when he awoke the door was open and Bonnie gone. He had followed Damon through the house and out into the garden, down towards the beach. Bonnie had sleepwalked like she guessed she would but he never imagined she would venture into one of the caves lining the bottom of the cliff. If the tide had come in while she was dreaming…

"You trapped her! You trapped her! She's all alone!" she screams down at him, tears running down her face.

"Wake up! Bonnie you're dreaming!"

"No this is real! I heard her, she spoke to me. She's in the dark, she's in hell," Bonnie says in a trembling voice and stops hitting him. She sits weakly on top of him, her hands lying limp on his chest. She is wearing a damp pink nightdress, her feet bare. His hands grip her arms.

"You …you were dreaming but it's over."

"No, I heard her. She's in the dark and it's my fault."

"No it's not. Your grandmother is dead Bonnie, she moved on."

She shakes her head. "I thought she found peace, she told me she had but she didn't," more tears run down her face and he sits up as she crawls off him. She remains on her knees, looking down. "When the other side collapsed she was meant to go to your prison world but she traded it for my safety. When that place was falling apart I saw people being sucked into the sky, into oblivion. I think that's where she is."

Kai shakes his head and moves to her. "You don't know that. No one knows what happened to the dead when the other side collapsed."

"Silas told us," she looks up suddenly and Kai stops. "When we got out of 1903 we had to cross over into your prison world. He was there and there were people with him. We never saw them up close but there were others. Do you remember?"

"Yeah and I also remember trapping him for eternity."

Bonnie shakes her head, looking miserable and drained. "You died Kai, you died so we could cross over into a different world. I don't think that hole we made healed. I think there are more of them, more gateways," her eyes flick to the hole in the wall she was about to crawl into moments before and Kai feels a swell of panic. He moves closer to it and peers in.

"...I can hear the sea. I don't sense anything weird," he picks up a rock and throws it into the hole. They hear it clattering and then after a long silence there is a deep splash. "You could have fallen if I hadn't found you," he looks back at her, his face grim with worry.

Alarmed, Bonnie looks at his face as he moves back to her. "I don't know if I'm going mad or dreaming but I don't think it's safe for us to stay here. We need to get back to the real world."

"…You think Silas is free?"

"I think he might be. Your heart stopped three years ago. I – I didn't want to consider the possibility, I was too scared but it makes sense. Every time you die or get sick it weakens the walls between worlds. He's out, I know it."

Kai stares at her with a hard expression before he pulls a ring off his finger. "Wear this and don't ever take it off."

"What is it?" she asks as he slips if over her finger. The ring, clearly magical, shrinks to fit her finger. As soon as it touches her it starts to vibrate and Bonnie gasps. "It's alive."

Kai nods grimly, looking at the black bands. "It's meant to trap bad witchy woo and send it back at the caster. That's why my dad is not Sleeping Beauty right now, if you wondered. Whoever's been fucking with us is about to get a threefold dose of their own medicine."

Bonnie looks at the ring before staring at Kai. Anxious, she tilts her head. "Do you believe me? Do you think he's here?"

Kai looks around the wet cave, smelling salt and damp, and shakes his head. "I don't sense anyone else."

"You can't sense anyone outside can you?" she looks back at the hole.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe we can't sense him because he's not on the island. He's outside this world."

"It's just a hole Bon. I can sense the edges of this dimension and that's not one," he answers gently and she shakes her head, not convinced. "But if you have a bad feeling I trust it. Once the curse is gone we're all going."

They gaze at each other with worry and confusion before Kai gets to his feet and pulls Bonnie up. She shivers in her nightdress, the bottom of it wet. Not waiting for an invite he pulls her into his arms and she grips at his back desperately.

"I feel like I'm going mad. I look at you and I see someone else. I see you in that stupid fucking rainbow shirt and it makes me want to pull away. It's not fair."

"I'm going to kill whoever is doing this to you," he promises darkly and Bonnie pulls back. Tears line her lashes and she looks so lost and haunted that it makes him feel an intense mix of pain for her suffering and rage at whoever is causing it. He will make that person hurt, even if he has to drain every drop of magic from his coven to do it.

"It's probably nothing but mind games but I can't get gram's voice out of my head."

"I'm sorry, I really am. If you wanna go back to Mystic Falls I'll come with you."

"You will?"

"I'm not leaving you alone. Wherever you go I'll be there."

Caught in his fiercely loving gaze Bonnie pulls him down and kisses him hard, her eyes squeezed tight. He parts her lips, kissing her deep and she groans as his hands rubs at her body through the soft fabric covering her. Bonnie opens her eyes and inhales, her body relaxing in his arms. The ring on her finger throbs with dark magic and he knows that her nightmares are over. But they are only about to begin for Silas, he can promise that. He smiles with a vicious affection, kissing her tenderly and it feels like a wound is being drained as the sea echoes around the dark cave.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

**_one more chapter to go :)_ **


	27. Chapter 27

As the day of the reset dawns they sit in a restricted room of the library, which is housed in it's own wing. After the cave they had gone back to Bonnie's room and for the first time in days she had slept the night through, Kai watching over her. The memory of what he had done is still fresh but now that she knows who is behind the mind games the feelings of confusion and helplessness are now replaced with a fierce purpose. She will make Silas suffer.

Kai sits at the end of a long wooden table. Around them hundreds of phials line shelves, each filled with blood. Bonnie stares around them, the room glowing red in the sunlight as she takes a seat.

"Uh, is this like a Gemini blood bank?"

Kai smiles, lifting his brows from the book he is reading. "Pretty much. It houses samples of our blood _and_ our enemies. It's used for tracking purposes…and cursing," he adds and she looks upwards. Floating above the table is the ascendant for the island. It turns slowly, catching the light and Bonnie watches as blood drips off the metal and falls into a deep bowl directly below. She leans forward and sees it is full of blood.

"What are you doing?"

"Draining it of Eloise's blood. Her blood is the key ingredient to crossing over but she's dying so…"

"You need someone else's. Yours?" she asks. Kai shakes his head.

"Yours. These places have always been used with Bennett blood and Eloise changed it. I don't think that was meant to happen. That okay with you?" he asks and she shifts, flexing her back. Being linked to any ascendant makes her feel uncomfortable but at least this way she has control over who can come and go.

"All prison worlds are opened and closed with Bennett blood, this is no different. Will your grandmother argue?"

Kai clenches his jaw. "Yes but she'll see it's pointless wasting her energy…" he trails off, looking darkly at the dripping blood until Bonnie places her hand on his arm. He looks at her and the troubled look on his face fades. "You okay?"

She shrugs. "Better than a day ago. I just want to do something, I don't want to wait for his next attack, one that we won't see coming."

Kai nods. "We'll be prepared now, that's why I asked you to come here after breakfast. I did some digging and unearthed something interesting about Silas."

He taps the book he is reading, closing it and Bonnie touches the leather bound tome. The Gemini symbol is embossed on the cover and as he flips it open again she sees names neatly scrawled in rows.

"A family tree?"

Kai nods. "The Parker's. My coven is old, we've travelled extensively but it began two thousand years ago in Greece. We cursed the Travellers, who some believe were originally part of our coven. When Silas and Qetsiyah created the immortality spell he and his follows were shunned."

Bonnie looks at him in surprise. "Silas was a Gemini?"

"Suspected but I think he was. The Travellers created the doppelgangers, who they wanted to then sacrifice to end access to spirit magic after we cursed them. I have to admit I'm kinda proud that I sucked up their five hundred year old plan when I siphoned the anti magic barrier," Kai grins with accomplishment. "All those witchy sacrifices which also acted as a magic hot spot? Delicious," he sighs and Bonnie ignores the wistful hunger on his face and focuses on the family tree.

"What does this have to do with Silas?"

"We have nothing to track him with…but his bloodline is still going. My coven tried to protect the doppelgängers, which we did a shitty job of, but we always kept tabs on them. Tatia, Katherine Pierce and Elena…"

"The Petrova line."

"Right and Silas' line is…"

"Salvatore," she says, understanding but Kai shakes his head. He flicks through the pages until he stops during the mid 1800's.

"Didn't you ever wonder why Lily Salvatore got embroiled with Gemini siphoners? Why she got locked up in 1903 with them? Kinda random right?" he taps a name on the page and Bonnie peers closer and reads.

"Lillian…Parker?" Bonnie looks up, mouth opening in shock. "She was part of your coven?"

"No, she had no magic but she was distantly related. Her family was Irish originally before moving to Virginia where she got married. _Her_ bloodline carries the Silas doppelgängers."

Bonnie looks at Kai and bursts into laughter. "You're related to Damon?"

"Don't, it's still too early," he shakes his head, mock disgusted and then grows serious. He flicks through the pages until tapping his finger on a name. "My dad said that a man called Tom Avery gave him the curse but he couldn't remember who he was but the name rang a bell. When I got out of 1994 I did some research about Lily and 1903. Then I remembered you talking about Luke shadowing the last male doppelgänger."

Bonnie frowns. "I didn't tell you about the Travellers in 1994."

"You talked to Damon about it and I overheard."

"Like a creeper," she adds and he shrugs nonchalantly, not denying it. Bonnie shakes her head and looks down at the name on the page. "Tom Avery."

"The last Silas doppelgänger. He was killed by a vampire called Enzo. Silas took his name."

"Okaaay?" she frowns in confusion and he smiles, taking pity on her.

"What I'm trying to say is that we can trace Silas because his bloodline is still going."

"But if Enzo killed Tom then who? You can't use Stefan's blood, he's a vampire, it won't work."

"I know…but we could go back to a prison world, grab the cure and give it to Stefan. He'll have human blood and _then_ we can fuck up Silas without him even having to be in the same dimension," he gives a blood thirsty smile and hope ignites inside her. If Stefan had the choice to be human again he will jump at it, she is sure.

"If anyone would help us take down Silas it's Stefan."

"Good. I'm bummed I never got to meet him. Imagine if he had come to my prison world with you instead of Damon?"

"My magic would have been back a lot quicker without Damon's form of encouragement that's for sure. I miss Stefan…all of them. I haven't seen Jeremy in years," she sighs and Kai looks aside, lips pursing and she laughs. "Was that a jealous face?"

"No."

"Yes it was."

Kai grabs her and pulls her down onto his lap. "Do you want me to be jealous?"

"No…" she smiles, relaxing against him. "I don't think I've inspired that in anyone. I only really had one serious relationship, before you…and he cheated on me. With a ghost."

Kai makes a noise of disbelief. "Jeremy was an idiot. From the moment I saw you I knew you were mine. All that waiting…" he sighs against her shoulder and she turns in his lap. He gazes at her intensely. "I thought the merge, the leadership, was what I was waiting for. I was wrong."

Bonnie smiles softly and trails her fingers down his cheek as she kisses him. His fingers thread through her hair as she pulls back. She smirks. "I almost set you on fire."

"That was the risk…" he warps his arms around her as she leans against his chest. He stares at the ring on her finger, the one he had given her the night before. "No nightmares?"

"…Just one but I think that's just me. They'll pass, with time…" she watches the blood dripping into the bowl, becoming unfocused. "I don't want to kill him, it's not enough."

Kai nods. "And he seems to have found a way out of hell."

"I remember some things, I get visions of him…Do you think my grandmother is in hell?"

Kai shakes his head, sitting up and makes her look at him. "Why would she be in hell? That's reserved for well, for people like me," he says with a smirk but she looks troubled. No matter the good he tries to do now he has no delusions about where he will end up.

"I could hear her, it felt so real…" she sighs and gets to her feet. She rubs the heels of her hands into her eyes. "I want to cause him pain but there's nothing he cares about. He just wants to hurt me."

"I won't let that happen again," he stands and moves to her side. "He did have something he cared about, you told me. Elena's progenitor."

"She's dead."

"And we're witches. I don't know about you but I haven't put my necromancer hat on in _such_ a long time," he smiles at her look of incredulity.

"We're not bringing anyone back from the dead. Screwing with that shit _literally_ killed me last time. Anyway there's no body…and Elena is missing and hopefully living a new life, if that's what you're thinking about," she narrows her eyes at him, wondering what plot is now whirling around his head.

"Oh I won't touch a hair on her head…promise."

He smiles as innocently as he can as she gives the bloody ascendant one final look before leaving to find the twins. They warned them not to explore, especially the grounds, so they are reading in the library. Kai had created stronger wards around the island that morning. It might have no effect but it makes him feel better to do something. He waits until she is out of the room before feverishly searching through the blood phials before he finds what he is looking for and smiles.

"Gotcha asshole."

* * *

Lia watches her father across the dinner table as he scribbles Latin phrases in a notepad. A spell, one of his own it seems. When asked about it he just shrugs with a smile, calling it a work in progress. His preoccupation reminds her of Ames when she gets an idea in her head.

"Tomorrow we'll be able to leave? I hope so! I want to see Astoria and your house," Ames licks fresh strawberry icecream off her spoon. Her dad made it earlier and it is delicious. Bonnie nods.

"You'll link with the other siphoners before sunset, combine your power."

"Before sunset? What happens if we don't break it?" Lia asks with worry. Kai stops writing and looks up.

"We will. I'll help, along with Eloise. We have to wait until sunset because that's when the curse is at it's most concentrated but both of you together weaken it. If you use Expression and we all siphon it from you the curse won't stand a chance. Your grandfather will bring the binding object and we'll suck the curse from that and you're free to go."

Lia frowns at her father in worry. "What about you?"

"Huh?" he stands, helping Bonnie clear the table. They are staying up late to watch the celestial event before the reset, which their father is still keeping a secret.

"Aunt Jo said that you shouldn't leave yet. Last time you were out you got sick. You were only out for like an hour."

Ames nods. "You lost a lot of blood."

Kai looks between them before smiling briefly, clearing the rest of the table. "I'll be okay. Help your mom with the dishes," he instructs and they stand, looking unconvinced. Ames moves to Kai and surprises him by wrapping her arms around him.

"It's not fair."

"…I'll be okay," he says and places the bowls back down on the table and hugs her. "I can't stay in here forever right?"

"I won't let that happen," she says in a quiet, fierce voice. "It's like someone has hexed you. Lia said that when you tried to go to Mystic Falls before you got sick and when you try to leave this place the same thing happens."

Kai smiles, cocking his head. "You think it's related?"

She shrugs, pulling back as Lia comes to her side. "We'll only know once you leave."

"If you have to stay then I'm not going anywhere," Lia says as Bonnie frowns behind her. The setting sun slants through the garden and into the kitchen. It is a peaceful, still evening but a contained energy is circling.

Kai shakes his head. "No, if you can leave then you're going back to Astoria with Bonnie."

The twins shake their heads, Ames speaking up first. "No we all stick together. I think we'll break the curse but if you can't go then I'm staying. You don't deserve another lonely prison sentence."

At these words the kitchen grows still and tense. Bonnie looks at Kai behind the girls but his gaze is stuck on Ames. He swallows, licking his lips before speaking.

"Another?"

Ames shifts on her feet, nodding. "Our cousins mentioned it. I don't care if it's true! Whatever happened I know you're a good person, you didn't deserve to be locked up in one of these places for so long."

Kai clenches his jaw, chest rising and falling before he speaks through stiff lips. "…I did."

Bonnie moves forward, hands on the girls' shoulders. "Let's get the roof ready," she says with a forced excitement but the girls are focused on Kai.

"…You don't have to tell us," Ames says quietly, gently while Lia stares in silence like a rabbit caught in headlights. She clenches her top in shaking fists.

"I – I think I do," Kai sits back down at the table and Ames follows but Lia remains standing. Ames takes her hand. Kai looks at Bonnie, who looks deeply worried but she moves to sit beside him. Kai inhales a breath, looking at her deeply for a moment, gathering strength, before turning to his daughters.

"This is really – this is really hard to talk about."

Ames nods in understanding. "It's okay, you don't have to tell us everything. Right Lia?" she pulls on her sister's arm until she nods stiffly. She remains standing, her shadow stretched out behind her.

Kai closes his eyes, biting his bottom lip before speaking. "I lied to you for a long time Cecelia and I'm sorry. I was scared to tell you about them. My siblings."

"Luke?" Ames asks but Kai shakes his head.

"No. I had four other siblings. Me and Jo were the first born but then…Elliot was next. He was four years younger," he waves his hand and the girls turn to suddenly see someone standing in the kitchen. The boy is young and handsome, shorter than their father but eerily similar. The illusion looks into space with a lopsided smile. "He was…calm, really chill, into Karma and all that stuff. Complete stoner, we had that in common."

Kai recalls fondly before waving his hand again. Two more people appear: a teenage girl with masses of dark curly hair and a surly, bored expression and a lanky teenage boy with glasses.

"Lucille and Joey. She was sixteen, Joey fourteen…she hated my guts," he adds with a sigh, staring at the girl with an odd look. "The feeling was kinda mutual…but I miss her. Both of them."

"She looks a lot like aunt Liv," Lia answers, the first words she has spoken since the illusion appeared.

Kai nods. "The curly hair comes from my mother. She was tiny but had all this hair," he recalls and after a moment of deliberation a woman appears. Kai's mother smiles, head cocked to the side. "She was a very powerful witch."

"What was she called?" Ames asks, moving closer for a better look.

"Mahalia. May for short."

Ames nods in understanding, moving around his lost family. "She died?"

"…When I was twenty. She got sick…"

Lia looks at her grandmother, a frown forming between her eyebrows before another illusion forms, the final.

"…Eleanor. She – she was ten," Kai's voice is thick and Ames turns to see tears in his eyes. The little girl has long hair that passes her hips, her skin like porcelain and beautiful dark blue eyes. Lia moves closer, hypnotised. There is a striking similarity, though their skin tone and eyes are different.

"She looks like us, doesn't she? Younger…" Lia murmurs and Ames nods, standing beside her.

"Is she dead? Did she get sick like your mom?" Ames asks.

"…No. No I…I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to do that to her. It was an accident," Kai struggles to speak and Ames turns to see tears on his face but Lia is frozen, staring at the little girl who has been dead for over thirty years.

"…What?" Ames whispers, her smile gone.

Kai cocks his head, pain twisting his mouth. "You know. You know don't you? I deserve what happened to me, I deserved everything."

Ames blinks, shaking her head. Lia can feel her confusion and fear through their bond, the mad beat of her heart. Hers has become still, like the illusions before them.

"But - but it was an accident? You said…."

Kai shakes his head, mouth opening but Lia turns around sharply and the cuts her arm through the air. The illusions disappear and the lights wink on and off around the room. The dogs, who had been snoozing, whine and leave the room. The sun is falling.

"No, I don't want to hear anymore."

Kai blinks, frowning. "But I -"

"No. I don't want to know. I can't. That's my choice, I do have a choice right? I've never heard of these people! You've lied to me for _years_ so I should have a choice…" she shakes, eyes blazing but the look of agony on Kai's face softens her. "I know you did something bad, I've _always_ known it…but I can't believe that, I won't. I want to be in the dark, just like you always wanted."

Ames looks at her sister with shock but it quickly turns to pity. "Lia, you're not in the dark, you're hiding."

"I don't care. He's been your dad for a _month_ so this doesn't hurt you like me. I don't want to know, I don't want this to change. I just want us to be together and no more crazy shit. I'm _tired_."

"We don't want to hurt you baby. He – he's just trying to do the right thing." Bonnie pulls Lia into her arms but she resists, shaking her head.

"Not for me," she wipes her hands over her face, inhaling though her stuffy nose. She looks at her sister. "I can't stop you asking questions but whatever you find out keep it to yourself. Dad," she looks at Kai who sits with his hands in his hair. He looks up, eyes raw. "I meant what I said, I'll stay with you but never talk about them again."

"Lia…" he calls her name as she walks out of the kitchen and after a moment Ames follows. Bonnie thinks about following but one look at Kai makes her stay. She sits opposite and takes his shaking hands.

"She – she's in denial."

"She knows and she's fucking terrified," he looks up at Bonnie before pulling her into his arms. She strokes his hair as he presses his face against her chest. She looks upwards in worry as the lights around the kitchen flicker but then burn steady.

"I'll check on them…I didn't think you would do it so soon," she says and he looks up at her.

"I wasn't planning to. I mean I was but after we got out. Fuck maybe I should have kept my mouth shut," he shakes his head angrily. Bonnie cups his face.

"I didn't want you to tell them, you know that but I think they would have found out anyway. If Lia doesn't want to know then that's her choice but well…"

"She doesn't want to know more because she's already guessed. I said enough…" he sighs, staring up at the ceiling. "See if they're okay? I'll – I'll set up the viewing for the reset. I need to do something," he stands with a nervous energy, his arms still around her and she nods.

"It'll be okay Kai."

He shakes his head with a tired smile. "You don't need to make me feel better. I knew what might happen if I told them…I guess it could be worse but I can't stand the thought that she's hurting because of me."

"I know," she gives a long tired sigh. "So much has happened to us. I wish when the reset happens it undoes it but that's wishful thinking."

"…I have that power." Kai looks at her and she sees a glimmer of sharp desperation there. He could make them all forget if he wanted. She squeezes his hand and gives him a sharp knowing look.

"You could but you don't have the right. We just have to deal with the repercussions, be there for them. You know it's not over but together we'll get through it," she says and then gives a hollow laugh. Why do they have to be strong against these odds? Why can't they just have mundane problems? "I can't freaking wait to have a day where its just _normal_. You and me grocery shopping or something. Just – just nothing from the past holding us back."

He shakes his head and pulls her to him for a quick, hard kiss. She pulls back with a half smile and steps away. "Get the telescope ready, I'll bring them down when it's time…"

He nods and watches her go, his fingers trailing over her arm and hand.

* * *

Midnight approaches and the sky is clear and dark. The twins had stayed in their room for hours, cuddling Bonnie on their bed before Kai called them from the door. They had almost fallen asleep.

"The celestial event is soon. He hasn't told me what it is," their mother says as she pulls on a cardigan. She wears a green dress with a petticoat below, favouring the fashion of the time they are stuck in. Their mother can pull off any fashion, though she usually goes for an eclectic, bohemian look when in the real world.

Lia, quiet but calmer, laces up her chucks. She had talked – argued – with Ames but they had reached an agreement. She is not in denial, in fact she sees more than Ames for all her genius. She knows what their father had done but even that brief glimpse is enough. Ames thinks what happened to those kids was an accident and Lia will let her keep that delusion as she stores away that sliver of truth and locks it away. She loves her father but his betrayal is a bleeding wound and if he dares to tell her anymore he will do nothing but make it worse. She'll have to escape from it. Lia just wants to be safe and in one place with her family and she will do anything to make sure that happens…

As they enter the roof below the lighthouse they find their father placed before a strange glass screen hovering in the air, concave like an old TV set without the back. Ames frowns and comes closer. The glass is six feet across.

"What is it?"

"It's a magical telescope. It'll magnify the sky. I made hot chocolate to drink before the reset. You uh, you might feel a little weird when it happens. An entire month rewinding will be a ride," he explains but looks at Lia nervously, who peers through the glass rather than at him. Blankets and pillows line the floor and Bonnie sits. The glass moves upwards slowly, hovering over them. They can lie down and look directly up.

"So what is it?" Lia asks as she lies beside her sister.

Kai smiles in relief and sits down by Bonnie. "…Santa"

Lia purses her lips. "Dad."

"I'm serious."

"It's not Christmas yet."

"It's a practise flight. You think he sits on his fat ass for a year?"

"Yes." Ames laughs. "Anyway we're thirteen, we don't believe in father Christmas."

"You know what happens every time you say you don't believe? A mall Santa drops down dead."

"You're so stupid," Ames laughs and after a beat Lia joins her before stifling it.

"You better not make him an illusion like when I was six," Lia warns and Kai holds up his hands.

"And have you set the tree on fire again? No tricks this time, promise," Kai smiles at her warmly and she holds the eye contact for a moment before whispering to her sister. Bonnie takes his hand when Lia sees the relief on his face turn to worry. Bonnie moves closer to him and whispers into his ear. Lia watches them peripherally, the way Kai nods and tries to smile. He is hurting but what did he expect to happen? She wishes she could get the image of that little girl out of her mind. An accident? They don't lock someone up for eighteen years because of an accident. She will not be able to look at her father the same way again and it makes her want to scream.

_I have to forget…but not alone._

The thought drifts into her mind and lingers. She stares at Ames, who looks up at the sky through the glass. She laces her hand through hers and focuses on the stars above.

Bonnie presses against his body, his arms around her as the celestial event begins. At first she does not notice but then a streak of light flashes in the dark, gone in an instant. Another flash and another, almost too fast to see. Without the screen above them she wouldn't have noticed.

"Shooting stars?"

"Is that it?" Ames complains.

Kai says nothing, just points up, encouraging them to keep watching. Bonnie tries to keep her eyes open, looking for more but the sky is still, just the twinkling of stars. She blinks a few times and then sits up with a gasp. A huge comet sails through the sky, it's tail gold and white. In its wake hundreds of shooting stars suddenly burst over the sky.

"Wow!" Lia gasps.

"They're all burning up in the atmosphere," Ames says, never taking her eyes off the display.

"Make a wish, if you can. There's almost too many to choose from," Bonnie urges and Kai smiles.

"You're spoilt for choice…" he says and looks down at Bonnie. "What's your wish?"

Bonnie looks back at the comment, which is starting to fade. "…That he pays," she says and though her magic is still blocked she forces all of her power into that wish, that curse and Kai nods, staring at the comet with a matching hard expression.

"This repeats every month so…he's fucked," he says into her ear and Bonnie smiles as the celestial event begins to die. Harbouring that violent wish she looks at her children and smiles softly.

"What did you wish for?"

"Can't tell you, it won't come true." Lia says, getting to her feet. She looks at her twin and then pulls her up. "We're tired."

"You don't want to wait for the reset?" Kai asks but Lia shakes her head.

"I've kinda seen enough for a day. Tomorrow…tomorrow things will be okay again," she moves towards her father but then stops, bending down to pick up her hot chocolate. "Come on Ames…"

Amelia looks at her twin as she leaves the roof and then back at her parents. "She's being weird. Dad, I know that it wasn't your fault, what happened. I don't know why she's being like this, she knows you better than I do. She's blowing this out of proportion," Ames shakes her head and Kai opens his mouth but Bonnie squeezes his thigh.

"Go to bed honey. Tomorrow is a big day," she pulls her down to kiss her cheek, Ames bending over to kiss Kai before she drains the last of her drink and leaves after giving the sky one more look. It is over.

Bonnie waits until she is gone before looking at Kai. He shakes his head with a tired sigh.

"I know after Thanksgiving I shouldn't but I want to get blackout drunk."

"…I might have slipped a little something into your chocolate," Bonnie confides and he snorts, looking into the cup.

"Spare anymore?"

"Sorry I think you drank it all," she shuffles until she sits between his legs, back against his chest. He sighs and after lowering his cup he wraps her up in his arms. They watch the sky, Kai lowering the glass back into the case it usually resides in with a wave of his hand.

"Will you sleep with me tonight? In our room?" he asks and after a pause Bonnie nods, managing a smirk.

"Has a whole two days without sex been rough?"

"Ha! Try eighteen years. You know I got to point where I couldn't even get it up? Then I saw you at your grandmother's house, hugging that teddy bear, and boom."

Bonnie laughs. "Ms Cuddles gave you hard on?"

"Don't kink shame me," he play bites at her neck and she laughs again. "If you're still awake after the reset I'll show you how rough it's been," he places his hands on her hips, pulling her against his groin and she can feel how much he wants her. Not as much as she does. She gyrates against him, slow and deliberate.

"It's back to the end of May in two minutes but if you wanna wait till afterwards…" she trails off with a sad look and gets silence in response before he suddenly pushes her forwards onto the pilled pillows and flips her onto her back. She looks at the open doorway and Kai swipes his hand, closing and locking it. He places his hands either side of her head, leaning off her. She reaches up to cup his face, running her thumbs along his stubble.

"I won't go clean shaved again, not if it freaks you out."

"No I want you to. That wasn't me, the fear," she says sincerely. "It was a long time ago Kai. Neither of us are the same."

He gazes down at her as she slides her fingers around the back of his head and pulls him down gently to her. As midnight passes they miss it, their eyes closed in a kiss. They miss the storms and clouds, the seas rolling back and forth and the shifting of the constellations until spring bursts back though the grounds and trees, roses curling back into their buds and eggs sealing closed again.

* * *

Blossom clings to the fruit trees, each a multi coloured cloud of purples and pinks. Ames looks down at her hand, where she got a paper cut a few days ago, and inspects the smooth unblemished skin of her palm. Her body has been reset, just like everything else on the island. She is now a month younger than she should be.

"I hope this works," Lia grumbles, hands in the pockets of her winter coat as the pets sit at their feet. It is now December in the real world. Their dad nods, offering the ascendant to their mother, who uses a sharp edge to cut her palm. The twins lift their brows in surprise.

"We don't need Eloise's blood anymore?" Ames asks and Kai shakes his head.

"Bennett blood, so you and your sister can use it. I'll have to do a spell on the other ascendant, to cleanse it of her blood," he says and hands the small pyramidal device to Lia. She only glances at him and Ames sees the hurt on his face. She has promised not to ask any more questions about their dad's crimes for her sister's sake. They share a psychic bond, even if she never breathed a word her twin would know. Their dad was a criminal and he did something terrible and that is enough for Lia. Now it will have to be enough for her.

Bonnie gives Kai a small smile and the tension hunching his shoulders relaxes. The twins say the spell and with a lurch they blink away the light from their eyes. Cold fog envelopes them at once and they all stuff their hands in their pockets. It is not snowing but it is cold enough to. The sea washes up on the beach in the distance and along the isthmus people appear out of the fog. The dogs bark, the cat watchful.

"Malachai," Joshua motions at his son and Kai moves to him as others appear. Bonnie moves quickly to her mother who stands with Jo.

"Is everything okay?" Bonnie asks, pulling out of Abby's embrace, as she does she notices someone behind her and freezes.

"Stefan?"

The vampire smiles gently and takes a step towards her but then Kai is standing in front of Bonnie, hand out.

"Uh, no hard feelings but can't be too careful."

"What?" Stefan frowns. Kai snaps his fist closed, snapping Stefan's neck. He falls to the ground as the girls gasp.

"Dad!" Ames wails, moving forward but Bonnie pulls her back. Kai spares them a glance, not able to handle their appalled expressions before getting down on his hunches.

"He's a vampire, he'll shake it off," he says and as if on cue Stefan groans and rolls onto his back.

"…That's not the greeting I had in mind."

"Sorry dude, had to be sure it was you."

"You could have thrown vervain at me," Stefan grumbles as Bonnie helps him to stand. She brushes grass off his coat and after a tense smile she pulls him in for a hug.

"I missed you."

"Me too. I uh, I assume there's a reason you had to be sure it was me?" he asks, brow furrowed but Bonnie sweeps her eyes over the girls, who still look shocked.

"Later," she says as Ames tugs on Stefan's arm and he gives her a hug before introducing her to Lia.

"Dad's got the binding agent," Kai says and shows Bonnie. She frowns, taking it.

"A wrist watch?" she touches it gently, feels the immense amount of magic contained within and turns it over. An engraving is on the plate: _To dad_.

"He said that the man he saw, Tom Avery, gave him that along with the spell. Told him to wind the watch at sunset. He forgot about it till now, he thought it was just an old watch. I think Silas must have cloaked it."

"It's still ticking," Bonnie says, pulling it away from her ear. She looks through the dense fog. "Where's your dad?"

"Gone to the beach to get the siphoners and Eloise."

Bonnie inhales, heart racing. "This is it. Oh god, I'm scared."

"I know," he pulls her into his arms as the nine siphoners approach with his father and grandmother. Most of them are young and friends with Lia, who grins and races over to two boys, dragging Ames over with her. Kai smiles at his grandmother, who looks pale and thin. "You up for this?"

Eloise narrows her eyes and Kai gasps as magic is sucked from his body without her laying a finger on him. She inhales, closing her eyes and sighs.

"Let's get this over with before it snows."

They form a circle around the gate, while the others watch from the isthmus. Kai closes his eyes, instructing the others there to do the same.

"The girls will add their power to you. You'll be able to siphon way more than you're used to and it'll – it'll be intense. Don't let it consume you," Kai says and a man, who is a teacher at a Gemini school, frowns. Kai opens his eyes.

"Josh said this would be safe. I don't want anything to happen to my children," Dwight says, looking at the two boys, Lai's friends.

Kai stares before smiling and something in Bonnie prickles unpleasantly at the sight. He and his father lied to these people, there are risks. Siphoners can drown in too much magic, become catatonic. Or crazed.

"My kids are here too, I understand. I'm also your coven leader _and_ I'm a siphoner. Whatever you can't handle you give it back to me. Understand?" he directs this to the teenagers, of which there are many. They nod, wide eyed.

Ames smiles at her father. "I keep forgetting you're in charge."

"He hasn't been sworn in yet," Lia says and Kai nods.

"She's right. Something to look forward to right? It'll be a big event. Dancing and fireworks and all that jazz. Everyone will be invited," he says, looking significantly at the siphoners. "This won't be forgotten by me, I promise."

"It will be if you keep talking," Eloise grumbles, motioning at the sun. Sunset is approaching, the days shorter now. Kai gives his grandmother a strange smile and then looks at his children.

"Ready? Remember when it's over let go of each other."

They nod, their heart racing. Lia takes her great grandmother's hand while Ames takes Kai's and they form the circle. Ames clears her throat, opening one of her eyes.

"Um, so we'll push our power through you and you'll use the boost it gives you to drain the binding over the curse. Okay?"

"Hold on to your dog Dorothy," Lia says and Kai manages to smirk before Expression suddenly floods through his body, passing through his hands to Dwight, who gasps and stiffens.

"Sweet Jesus."

Everyone gasps and almost breaks the circle, not anticipating the strength of the magic now weaving through them. Kai feels that golden magic making a full circle of thirteen and he grits his teeth. It is overwhelmingly sweet; honey to drown flies in and every one there could succumb to that temptation with no resistance.

 _They could soak us up, take our magic for their own,_ he thinks distractedly but then he feels his children switching focus from the group to the curse.

"Destroy it," they whisper and it makes him want to shiver how calm they sound, how unconcerned. He is seconds away from giving in to that power, to absorb it like he had once done with Bonnie but he has to use it. Kai grits his teeth and directs the magic towards the watch he has placed on the gate, his grandmother copying him and slowly the others follow. The sun sets, a dim orange coin through the fog. Bonnie looks back from the horizon to the group, who glimmer like gold dust.

"Are you seeing that?" Stefan whispers and she nods, petting the dogs by her legs.

"That's their power. It warps reality…Or lets you see it for what it really is," she adds thoughtfully. The girls smile, heads thrown back with a dreamy smile while the other siphoners struggle between that state of surrender and a fight to keep in control. Despite the cold Kai sweats and she worries. Stefan takes her hand.

"They'll do it Bonnie."

"I just don't like sitting back and doing nothing."

He gives her a sad smile before motioning at the circle. "That was usually you and only you. You never had help."

"That's not true," she says, looking at him briefly and Stefan shrugs, looking back.

"It wasn't enough, whatever we gave you in return."

Bonnie swallows the strange need to cry and focuses on her children. "This is for them and I pray this is the last time they'll have to do this. I don't want them to grow up like I did. Their magic is meant for more, they are…" but then she laughs, shaking her head. "They can go live with ten cats and never cast a spell, as long as they're safe and happy. That's all I want."

Stefan nods and squeezes her hand. "Then I'll give you a tip: don't come back to Mystic Falls," he says. "It might be quiet now but that place is strange. The violence…hibernates. It's only sleeping but it remembers. It calls you back."

With these ominous words the group gasps as a small cracking noise is heard. The glass watch face caves in as weak beams of sunlight break through the fog. The hands continue ticking but as the siphoners strain, the gold light around them intensifying, the hands begin to slow.

"They're doing it," Jo says and her father nods with a determined expression.

"But they're going to be gouged, if they survive."

"Kai always lost it when he took in too much," Jo says and Bonnie is vividly reminded of Kai staggering upright in a bloody hallway, his brother dead at his feet. The magic had warped his already frayed mind.

"No, he'll be okay," she whispers to herself as one of the boys groans, biting his lip until blood drips down his chin.

"I – I can't…I – I," he begins to pull away but Kai's hands suddenly flare red. Dwight groans.

"Don't break the circle," Kai warns and through the golden light red shines, molten blobs of it as each siphoner draws the magic from the witches linked to them. Kai's mouth falls open as the influx of magic passes to him.

Bonnie moves forward but not to close. So many siphoners in one place creates a vortex. Even without touching her and with her magic blocked she can feel the gravitational pull of them.

"Kai? Share the magic," Bonnie urges but he shakes his head, sweat plastering his hair to his skull.

"They're not strong enough."

"Then let it go!"

"I can't," he inhales a deep breath and squeezes his eyes tight. Ames, who looks peaceful, almost sleepy, turns to her father, as if seeing him for the first time.

"I'll take it."

"It's too much," he groans but she and Lia smile.

"It's like licking ice cream off a bowl. Nice but…"

"It's nothing," Lia answers and Kai's eyes snap open as the watch suddenly ignites, the metal buckling. No blinding light bursts from the watch, no crack of thunder. Just a small fire and melting gears. Kai falls to his knees, bringing the others with him and Bonnie watches as Eloise falls onto her front, breaking the circle. Fog obscures the horizon, darkness creeping over the sea and land. Stefan shakes his head.

"The sun set, I felt it."

Bonnie blinks, trying to digests his words. "It's broken?"

"You're still here right? We remember. It worked!" Jo says with a grin as her father moves to the gate, his face grim. Bonnie quickly follows him, rushing to Kai, who lies in the grass.

"Kai? Can you hear me?" she touches his face but his eyes remain closed. Joshua looks at his unconscious son and coven leader and motions at the hidden island.

"He needs to go back."

"But we're free."

Jo inspects her brother, her happiness fading. "His pulse is weak. Help me with him," he says and Joshua pulls Kai up, who starts to come to his senses.

"No, I'm okay. It's just…just the magic," he answers, trying to pull away from Jo. Joshua narrows his eyes at him and then bends down to help his frail mother to her feet. Eloise inhales deeply.

"He's right, it's just the magic. Those girls…they have no idea what they're capable of," she says, looking at the twins with awe. They are still standing, their hands clasped. Bonnie looks at Kai and he nods.

"I know, I was worried this would happen," he and Bonnie approach the twins, calling their names softly but their gold-green eyes peer unfocused, their heads tilted as if listening to some far off music.

"What's wrong with them?" Stefan asks.

"When they use Expression they go into a trance. It can be hard for them to wake up from it," Kai explains as Bonnie talks gently to the twins but after ten minutes she stops, increasingly worried. She is about to suggest transporting them back to the island when the twins straighten their heads but the relief in Bonnie and Kai is short lived.

"We unbalance nature," they both say sadly and Kai stiffens. "We shouldn't be here."

"No, of course you should be," Bonnie urges and forgetting about the threat she takes their limp hands. No blast of power knocks her back and she holds on tightly. "You're exactly where you should be."

"Nature will restore balance, it always does," Jo says and Bonnie nods. Kai frowns, his jaw clenched before speaking.

"It's okay, nothing will hurt you again. I promise."

"…Only your own actions will do that…I've seen it," Lia says and there's a sharpness hidden in that soft voice.

"Seen what?" Bonnie asks and Ames answers.

"The end. Always the same," she whispers sadly and tears appear in those vacant eyes. Kai shakes his head.

"No. Things – things will be different."

The girls nod. "Yes daddy. Not what you want…but we're still gonna die."

"We won't make it beyond seventeen."

"No!" Bonnie shouts and rips their hands apart. Magic slams her back into Kai and they fall to the ground, their minds filling with a blinding gold and nothing else.

* * *

Night has fallen when Kai awakes in a strange bed. Bonnie sleeps beside him and he quickly touches her to make sure she is okay.

"You're awake, thank god," Jo says as she enters the room. Kai sits up as Bonnie still sleeps deeply, unresponsive.

"What happened?"

"They knocked you both out. We're at Eloise's."

"Are they okay?" he gets out of bed and Jo hesitates before answering.

"We managed to get them inside but…they're still linked."

"But they were separated," he says, looking back at Bonnie before leaving the room. Maybe it will be better if she misses this and wakes to her children back to normal.

"They just grabbed hands again. Kai…Eloise is weak, I don't think she'll make it through the night," she says but Kai barely hears her.

"Where are they?" he demands and Jo leads him to another bedroom. He finds Abby sat in an armchair while the girls stand by the window. They stare out, hands clasped.

"Lia? Ames?" he calls softly and after a moment they look at him over their shoulders. The stare looks right through him before they go back to gazing at the window but he knows they are not seeing the sea. "Jesus. How long have they been like this?"

"Hours. We can't touch them, they agreed to come back with us. They just…zapped us here, like it was nothing. Well, except Stefan. He's with Ric. Eloise won't allow vampires in," she explains, moving closer to the twins. "Kai…what are they?" Jo asks but he does not answer. He turns and finds his father watching from the doorway. He appears warn out, how Kai presently feels.

"Your grandmother wants to speak to you," he says and after gazing deeply at his children Kai nods. He looks at Abby.

"Call me if anything happens," he says and follows Joshua out.

"The siphoners have just gone. They needed time to recover, they were pretty out of it," he explains, leading Kai up a flight of stairs. As they pass the framed pictures on the walls he catches sight of Eleanor's grin and feels like he has been punched in the gut. Joshua pauses at the noise Kai makes.

"I lifted the spell over the pictures and everything else this morning. They're everywhere I look."

Joshua looks at him, saying nothing. Does he expect thanks for doing the bare minimum? For restoring the memory of his siblings to a man who has had to pretend they did not exist for Kai's sake? A gruff silence is the least he can hope for.

"She's drifting in and out of consciousness," Joshua says when they reach Eloise's room. "Helping you and your children took a lot out of her."

"I know and I'm grateful," Kai says but when Joshua moves to enter he places a hand on his shoulder. "I want to speak to her alone, just for half an hour or so."

Joshua stares at him and then nods. "I'll check on Bonnie."

"Dad, we know who did this to us. It _was_ Silas. Once the girls are okay I'm summoning a council meeting. I want the entire Gemini coven behind me on this. Will you help me?"

Joshua nods, inhaling deeply. "He tricked me, he tricked all of us back in Monroe. I won't let that lie. The coven will seek retribution," he answers and Kai smiles briefly before slipping into the room.

He has no idea if Silas wants a war but that is what he is about to receive.

* * *

Bonnie gazes at her daughters, her voice hoarse. She had awoken fifteen minutes ago and has talked none stop to Lia and Ames. Kai is with his dying grandmother but he'll be back soon.

"What do you think they're seeing?" Abby asks and Bonnie shrugs. She leans against the wall, beside the twins.

"They've said that they get a jumble of visions, of the past and future."

"They say things sometimes, spells and names," Jo says and Abby nods.

"They keep saying Elias."

"That was the name of my grandfather," Jo says, looking confused as Bonnie gently pushes Ames' hair off her shoulder. They allow her to touch them but she knows not to try separating them again.

"And Atti," Abby adds and Bonnie grows still, staring into Lia's large glassy eyes. Is she doing this on purpose? Would she rather drift through time then come back to her present reality? Bonnie closes her eyes, trying to still her beating heart.

"Come on, just let it go. I know it's hard, I remember but you have to come back to us," she sighs, hand on Amelia's shoulder and she looks down. Her head cocks and she touches the chain Ames always wears.

"What is it?" Jo asks.

"Nothing really…her pendant is missing."

* * *

Kai hands his grandmother a cup of tea and she sips it, sitting up against a pile of pillows. Elvis plays gently from a record player. _Love Me Tender._

Kai sits back in the armchair, smirking softy. "Think you'll see him? My _other_ grandfather."

"You don't have to believe me. Your father doesn't."

"Cause it's crazy pants granny…but I'll indulge you, just this once," he smiles as Eloise sips the tea and his smile fades away. He stares at her curiously and she cocks an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You kept being a siphoner a secret, once you won the merge no one had to know because you had a steady supply of magic."

"That changes when the leadership passes on. You're weak, weaker than before. You'll need to siphon again."

Kai shakes his head. "I'm not passing my crown to anyone else. It's mine and it'll die with me."

Eloise sighs, lowering the empty cup to her lap. "I thought the same once, that I could spare my children but you can't. You think you're the first? The Gemini have been trying to break the link for thousands of years. You're still young Malachai, you can have more children. Bonnie would never have to know."

He clenches his jaw, looking aside. "I think she'll guess something is up when the coven isn't trying to merge our kids…"

"We have to endure, the coven comes before family."

Kai snaps his head back to her. "The coven _is_ family, don't you get that? My family will survive and I will do anything to ensure that. If – if I have to use a surrogate then I will but not before I've exhausted every other possibility."

She gives him a weak smile, eyes drooping. "All those paths have been walked Kai. There's nothing you can do. Spend time with your family but do not get attached."

Kai snorts, siting back. "Too late. Fuck…what the hell did this coven _do_ to deserve this?"

"It's confused, no more than myths now. Nature cursed us a long time ago. Or another coven in retribution. The merge is dark magic, a magic that gives the leader access to a power that no other coven has. You're linked to us all and you can draw on that strength. A siphoner, born to it. You and me, we're only amongst a handful who won the merge. Now one of your children will carry on the legacy. May it never end."

Kai sneers, siting back as his grandmother, a woman who has at once taught him everything he knows and turned a blind eye to his suffering, offers the empty cup to him. He takes it away and speaks softly as she drowses.

"Do you want to die?"

"Don't think…don't think I have much choice in the – in the matter."

"I suppose not…but would you rather die now or later?" he asks and she frowns, her oddly young face confused before she opens her eyes. Kai stares at her openly, head cocked to the side. Eloise grows very still.

"What have you done?"

"I'm giving you a choice. My kids are an imbalance, it's true and nature will restore it by either creating something else or killing my children. I'll kill my entire coven before I see that happen. So…" he smiles at her gently as her eyes narrow and she looks at her cup now on the side table.

"You drugged me."

"I also put vampire blood in your tea. Surprised you didn't notice."

Eloise laughs, which makes her cough. "You're gonna turn me into a vampire?"

"No, I'm going to turn you into a Heretic," he answers pleasantly and she grows silent. Kai sighs, getting to his feet. "If I wasn't linked to them I'd make myself one but I can't. I thought about turning the siphoners who visited but dad wouldn't do much to protect them if they were targeted. He wants to help me but he doesn't like what the girls are, he fears what they can do. He doubly doesn't like the idea of a vampire with magic. You can see my conundrum. For all your history he would protect you and unlike those other siphoners you'll put up a fight if anyone tried to take you down. There needs to be balance and you're it…or you can die."

Eloise watches him without blinking as he stands by the door. "My choice?"

"Yes."

Eloise smirks. "An illusion of one. How long have you been plotting this?"

"A few days. They don't know."

"Hmm didn't want to sully your good act with your girlfriend I assume?"

Kai lifts his eyebrows. "She'll be pissed but when it comes to her children she'd be snapping your neck right about now. I'm kinda the good witch in this scenario."

Eloise stares at a picture of her late husband and sighs. "I hate vampires."

"I know but you hated being a siphoner and you got through it. You'll be forever young and super powerful…and my kids need a tutor."

Eloise cuts him a look. "You also promised me leadership."

"I lied."

"Good. You won the crown, no matter the circumstances. Wear it. I wouldn't be surprised if this drama is a result of you shirking your responsibilities."

Kai lifts his brows but says nothing. He leans against her writing desk opposite the bed. His grandmother takes the picture down of her dead identical twin and sighs.

"Little longer Esme…Your father will kill you for this," she looks back up and Kai leans off the desk.

"No, he prefers other means of punishment," he smiles and lifts his hand to stop the music.

* * *

Ames lets go of Lia's hand, inhaling a deep breath. She turns as her sister blinks, disorientated.

_Where are we? Where's Elias?_

Lia rubs at her forehead, as if to get rid of Ames' question, one that becomes more and more confusing.

"Who's that?"

Ames opens her mouth to answer but then shuts it. She does not know, only the warm love that the name evokes stays with her. She looks around and sees her auntie and grandmother asleep on a small couch together.

"Where are we?" she asks her sister and then looks up when Kai appears at the door. He smiles at them, a strange fragile thing.

"You're awake. I thought you would be."

"What happened? What day is it? How did we end up here?" Lia looks around the room, staring at her sleeping grandmother.

"You don't remember?" he asks, opening his arms and they quickly cling to him.

"I remember eating strawberry icecream…and shooting stars," Lia screws up her face in concentration but then deflates, shrugging, "That's it."

Ames nods in agreement, looking confused. Kai grows very still, looking between them. "You – you don't remember anything but that?"

"Oh and your siblings who died in an accident. That's all," Lia says lightly and Ames nods again.

"Same. What the heck happened?"

Kai opens his mouth to answer but not knowing what to say he leans down and shakes Abby awake.

"Where's Bonnie?"

* * *

She comes to her senses gradually, smelling pine and the chill of the sea wind blowing against her jean covered legs. She remembers Joshua Parker motioning at her to follow him from the doorway and after a lingering look at her girls she had followed. After that everything is dark.

Sitting against a tree trunk she looks up to see a man staring out to sea, his back to her. She looks along the cliff and sees lights from Eloise's house in the distance, the only thing visible in the fog. She is about to call Joshua's name but she keeps silent, her stomach knotting. Brown curls blow in the wind.

"I used to live by the sea, with my coven. They're all scattered and dead now of course, thanks to the Gemini," he says and Bonnie gets to her feet quickly. Her magic is still buried but as she takes a step forward she forgets about magic. She could push him over the edge, crack his head open on the rocks below. He laughs.

"…I'd just come back Bonnie, though I guess you know that," he turns and she freezes. Silas had said he would stick with one face from now on and he meant it. Atticus Shane had been a desperate, grief stricken man who manipulated Bonnie, when she had been at her most vulnerable. She had needed someone to tell her is was okay, that she was not beyond saving, that she was powerful and appreciated and he had played on those desires expertly. He had just been an ordinary human but because of him she had lost control.

"You're not really here…and you're not Shane."

"Hmm it _really_ bothers you. I think you were starting to crush on Professor Shady weren't you?" he says with a grin, coming closer and she backs up, snarling.

"We're coming for you. Two thousand years stuck in a cave will be nothing to what we'll do to you," she promises as he stops a foot away. Green eyes peer at her intensely, just as she remembers. It turns her stomach. Silas looks down at the ring on her finger and before she can move he takes her hand. His flesh is warm and she gasps.

"Nightmares? Yeah you'll have to do better than that. All I did was dream for hundreds and hundreds of years. The mind is my speciality," he taps his temple and Bonnie snatches her hand away.

"What do you want?!"

"I told you, to ruin your life. Do you know what it was like to get sucked into oblivion and not find the woman I loved after everything I did? Do you know who _was_ there?" he asks and Bonnie smirks.

"Qetsiyah."

"And your grandmother," he adds and her smirk drops. Silas smiles, leaning closer. "Actually messing up your dysfunctional family is second on my to do list. First is stop the plot that's currently whirling around your boyfriend's head."

"What?"

"Stefan. You plan to make him human to get a trace on me. I don't know why, all you had to do was call and I'd come. I'm never far away Bonnie," he smiles gently and she shivers.

"If you hurt Kai…" she warns but he shakes his head.

"What's the point? He's doing fine with that all on his own. But oh it's a shame about the whole linking thing on the Gemini right? I'm quite proud of that, before Qetsiyah locked me up."

Bonnie blinks as she hears voices calling out in the dark. "You cursed them?"

"Two thousand years ago. The Gemini cursed us after they found out we created immorality. The Travellers came to be and your ancestors scattered but you could still do spirit magic, though you couldn't form another coven without it imploding. You never wondered why?" he asks, not really curious at all but Bonnie's mind is spinning.

"I know I'm descended from Qetsiyah but I didn't know about the Gemini."

Silas nods, walking around her. "Qetsiyah managed to protect her family from the worst of the curse. We got the Gemini back though. This was before she found out about my uh, my infidelity," he pulls a face and sighs. "We were quite a team once upon a time."

Over the sea and through the fog she can hear Kai shouting her name and the dogs barking. She wants to call to him, to run but she feels hypnotised. It's an old, familiar feeling facing those green eyes.

"If you cursed the Gemini, if the merge is down to you…"

"Then I can undo it, yes," he answers with a cruel smile. He tilts his head and touches her hand. "I can save your children and Kai…Still want to kill me?"

She breathes heavily, caught in his gaze as her heart hammers against her ribs. She shakes her head, trying to clear it of him. "I don't believe you. You don't want to help me."

"Not for nothing obviously. I'm not lying about this. The truth is in the archives, if you dig deep enough. So I might help you, with a condition."

Bonnie snatches her hand away, stumbling back. "You just said you wanted to ruin my life!"

"Oh I do! But I'm also giving you the chance to free the Gemini in exchange for something."

"…What?"

Silas smiles with Shane's face and comes closer. "I want one of your daughters."

"W-what?"

"Kinda feel like Rumpelstiltskin," he says with a laugh and shoulder wiggle. She doesn't want it to remind her of Kai but it does. He smiles gently. "I need a witch with Expression again. Shane worked so hard to create you, though you shouldn't be so hard on him," he says in sudden reprimand. "He didn't want to do any of it at first, it took me months to wear him down, a lot longer than he took with you. He thought he would see his family again."

"And you lied."

"No, he did see them again. I just didn't tell him he'd have to die to accomplish it. You left him to bleed to death. Cold."

Bonnie tries to ignore the deliberate guilt trip, shaking her head and shouts for Kai. "I'm not giving you anything."

"Not even if it will save his life and your daughters' by extension? He's sick."

"Your doing?"

"No, I just…exacerbated it a little. Come on Bonnie, I'm mortal now and I know I can't escape oblivion forever. As long as Kai is the leader the holes between dimensions remain open. Of course every time he dies more and more rip apart. You think I'm bad? You haven't seen Hell. If I got out trust me there's more on their way. What it did to Qetsiyah…I ran and ran," he answers and for the first time the humour and cruelty fade and she sees real fear in his eyes.

She looks behind her as lights appear through the fog. "I don't care. I will never trust you and I'm sure as hell not giving you my daughter."

Silas nods with a thin smile. "I thought you'd say that. Oh well, it's no matter. I'm patient. You'll call on me in the end, when all your hope is gone and you have no other answers. I can break the Gemini curse and I can save Kai…all I want is one of those girls when she's of age. I'll even give her back when I'm finished."

Bonnie screams and magic blasts from her, bending the trees and whipping the wind into a frenzy. Silas smiles for a moment, caught in the centre of the maelstrom before he fades away. Bonnie falls to her knees and suddenly the fog is gone and the wind eases.

"Bonnie?" she looks up at Kai, who pants and drops to a knee beside her. "Are you okay? Where is he? You were cloaked again."

Bonnie shakes her head. "Only in my mind."

"What happened?" he helps her to stand and pulls her into his arms.

"He wants one of the girls," she says and then pulls back with a gasp. "Are they okay?"

"They're awake, they're safe. They – they don't remember what I told them. It's like they purposefully wiped the memory away." He sighs and Bonnie notices now that Kai is bleeding from his nose and red marks cover his face. She touches his cheek as the dogs sniff around her, making sure she is safe.

"You're hurt."

Kai hesitates before speaking. "My dad had a bad reaction to some news. He left. I uh, I'll tell you when we're inside and calmer."

They begin walking and Bonnie can see her family standing outside the cottage waiting for them. Kai limps and she frowns at him in worry but he brushes off her concern. Bonnie rubs at her temple, feeling jumpy and sick.

"I need to guard my mind from him but he's so powerful."

"I'm working on that. You need an equally powerful ward. Usually they're jewellery but you have something much more enduring," he says and runs his fingers up her back.

"The tattoo?"

"It's magic, inert but we can adapt a spell for it."

Bonnie stops, seeing the girls waiting impatiently at the door. "He said he could help you, that he could stop the merge from happening because he was the one that created it."

Kai narrows his eyes and then snorts. "Suddenly he wants to help us? Did he have a change of heart perving on us?"

"He wants one of the girls in return."

The mocking smile disappears off his face and he looks back to where he found Bonnie. "I won't let that happen. I have a plan and even death won't be an escape when I'm done. My coven will back me, back us on this. They believe Lia and Ames are in running for leadership and any threat to them they will fight."

"Silas used them and my family against us last time. He could do it again."

"We're prepared now. My coven has been in the shadows for too long but not anymore. I can lead them."

"And when they find out they're not in running for leadership?"

Kai's fierce look fades, replaced with conflict. "They won't merge. No matter what happens or what else I have to do…they will never merge."

She nods, believing him but they will have to convince his coven that they are raising their children to take over from him one day. If they believed they have no intention would they find other means to secure Kai's progeny?

"I don't want this for my kids anymore Kai. Whatever you have to do to keep them safe, whatever sacrifice…do it."

They stare at each other, the words unspoken but understood. There might come a day when Kai's offspring will merge and become the next Gemini leader…but it will not be her children. Arms around each other they smile at the twins, who race from the cottage as the sun begins to rise over the Pacific.

* * *

**_a.n:_ **

_And that's the end of this arc. There is one more to go, set about five years later but I'm putting this story on hiatus until I feel more motivated and inspired. I can promise coven leader Kai, domestic bonkai and a new addition to the family..._


End file.
